


My Soul Carries Me to the Stars

by LupaAltrecation



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Wings, And Overprotective, BAMF!everyone, Bamf!Kuroko, Body Horror, Colorful Language, Everyone wants to protect his innocence from everyone, Experiments, F/F, F/M, I think?, Kidnapping, Kuroko is a precious Cinnamon Roll, Kuroko is overpowered even among them, Kuroko is sexy and he doesn't know it, LATER, M/M, Maiming, Meet the overpowered parents, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Overpowered everyone, Reincarnation, Sexual Content, So much harrassment, Soul-magic-powers-stuff, The parents are unexpectedly cool, The writer doesn't know what's going on, They also happen to be OCs, Torture, at least you can keep your personality, congratulations though, cuz they won't be gettin any till a whole lot later, did I mention harrassment, except themselves, for the characters as well, harrasment, like wow self-esteem issues, much later, open relationships???, patience is a virtue, poly ships, poly ships everywhere, poor kuroko, sexy moments, suitors beware, the pairings are really more like everyone loves Kuroko plus some other guys on the side, what even is this, where you don't actually remember anything, you'll have to get past the first few chapters before ball is life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-05-04 10:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 37,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5330969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LupaAltrecation/pseuds/LupaAltrecation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where ones soul manifests as a pair of wings, Alphas, Betas, and Omegas make up the population (along with a fourth class, the Outliers), everyone is overpowered, and Kuroko is ridiculous even by their standards. As an Omega with shockingly beautiful wings, his 9 parents despair at the fact that their precious son seems to be gaining a harem. At least ball is still life.<br/>Or: Where people have fabulous wings (unless you have a weak soul and then you don't deserve them anyways), Alphas are obsessive egomaniacs who Omegas have to take down a peg or three, Betas are the normal guys till you do something stupid, and Omegas are the 'oh dear God they're sexy' part of the population, whose wings are even more fabulous than the rest. Also, tails (Omegas only, sorry other guys).<br/>Meanwhile behind the scenes, Kuroko is dealing with enough issues to fill an ocean, and with his super sucky past just waiting to catch up, his wannabe suitors may be biting off more than they can chew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1 - It's Beautiful Up Here

**Author's Note:**

> This story is pretty much a copy-and-pasted version of the same one I'm currently writing on the other fanfic site I use, so sorry if something seems odd like line breakers or intro/outro thing I do. I might not always remember to take it out of the story and put it in the Notes section instead.  
> Disclaimer - I own nothing but the plot and OC’s of this story.  
> Warning - Cinnamon Roll!Kuroko (too good, too pure for this world), Very Overpowered Kuroko, poly ships, poly ships everywhere, gay people, so much slash, overprotective dysfunctional OP families, everyone loves Kuroko, future mpreg, supernatural abilities, wings, BAMF!Kuroko (but still a cinnamon roll), Akashi, screw it everyone is OP, society being a bunch of insensitive pricks, Alpha/Beta/Omega freeform dynamics, psychological and physical abuse, even I don’t know what’s happening and I’m writing this story.  
> This story is so AU the only similarities are the characters and that ball is life here too.  
> If you didn’t read the warnings, it’s your own fault, so don’t come crying to me.  
> (I should totally be working with my other stories but I can’t sorry, I haven’t been able to focus on anything but the KnB fandom for weeks, everytime I try writing something I fail horrifically. Soon, though. Soon.)  
> Edit: 11/30/2015 - Just fixed some mistakes, smoothed out some grammar and a few lines, and added several scenes for character development. Nothing that would change the plot, but it is different.

 

I was here again.

It wasn’t bright, nor was it dark. In this place, neither of those things existed. This was the place where we waited. Who were we?

Everyone.

No one.

We didn’t know. We didn’t care. After all, in here it didn’t matter. We called it the between. That was exactly what it was. Between the last world, and the next.

It wasn’t unpleasant. It wasn’t pleasant either. The only thing that existed in the between was the concept of self, and others. We were souls. Not dead. Not alive. In the between, there was no excitement. Nor was there boredom. Just like there was no time. Or space. No separation, or togetherness. We knew each other, that was all. There was no he, she, or it, like in most worlds. The only thing that existed was self, and others.

I was special.

We all knew it. It was a fact. There was no pride, or belief, truth, or lie here. Just certainty. I was special.

I was first.

We didn’t know how there could be first when there was no time. We were just there.

It didn’t matter.

I was first.

Before the others. They were always there, but I was still first.

I was beauty.

There was no sight, or appearance, but it wasn’t a shallow concept like the outer shell that made me beauty.

As souls, all that we are, makes us as we seem. There can be no hiding or showing, just knowing. Among all these souls, I was beauty.

I knew why I was first. In every universe, every existence and non-existence, my soul was the closest to perfection without being made specifically with the intention of perfection.

There were beings whose souls were made specifically with the intent to be perfect. They were called Angels. However, perfect souls could not interact with souls that were not perfect. They could not even form a concept of each other, much less exist on the same plane.

My soul was created in the ordinary method that every normal, imperfect soul is created with. Despite this, I was the closest to perfect a soul could be.

That’s why I was special.

That’s why, upon the destruction of my physical shell in my first life, I was not sent to the afterlife, but given the choice. Become this, what we are now, or move on to the afterlife. The Infallible One would not force me to do this, he loved me as much as he loved the infinite number of souls he ruled over.

I chose to become this.

I was first.

I was special.

The others knew it too. Being close to me was being close to perfection. So they always were close. There was no space, so it wasn’t physical. In here, what was physical? They simply narrowed down their existence to them, and me. So I was ‘close’ to everyone. I liked it.

Closeness makes me happy.

Everyone was close to me. They liked it too.

Closeness makes them happy, also.

In the between, the only thing that registers is self, and other. Emotions are found in the soul. So we could feel happy. Others was the only thing that could affect self.

We got to experience more, though.

We were in the between for a reason.

All the souls in the Universe did not come here. Just us. Since there was no time, everyone who would ever come here, already was here. There would never be more. Or less.

We existed, and would never stop. That was fact. It would not change.

I was oldest. This was judged by the number of existences we had been through. It was judged by another factor as well. All the others came here because of me. In some way, my soul influenced their own in whatever life I met them, and allowed them to be given the choice. Most went to the afterlife.

In the between, we waited to be assigned to our next existence.

Some of the souls were darker. They became what was considered “evil” in the existences they were assigned to. Bright souls would become “good”. It didn’t always go perfectly though. Sometimes, an influence in the current existence would change the soul.

This applied to everyone.

Except me. I was special.

I was closest to perfection. Perfection varied throughout Universes, though. In one of my lives, I had been cruel, sadistic, merciless and brutal, and I was loved for it. Adored as perfection.

In another Universe, I was different. Infinitely forgiving, good, and kind. I was beautiful, and gentle, and loving, strong and comforting. I was loved. Adored as perfection.

My soul was undecided. It was more brilliant than light, and darker than darkness itself, both and neither all at once. Near perfect.

Incomprehensible.

In all the Universes, if my soul was seen, it could not be comprehended. However, despite this, it was regarded as magnificent.

The closest thing they could compare to something so close to perfection, yet was also just barely far enough that it could be seen by the imperfect.

Awesome. Glorious. Magnificent. Words whose meaning has been overused and lost. To them, however, I embodied the  _ true _ meaning of these words.

Those lives, were tiresome. Existences paid special attention to magnificent things. They were still nice though.

Existing was pleasant.

I was the ‘oldest’. I was the only one to have developed a concept of ‘preference’ when it came to my existences. I liked the ones where I was loving. It shouldn’t be possible, but even in the between, I found I most enjoyed the lives where I had loved others, and done my best to make them happy. Even here. Making others happy was the best feeling.

It started to carry over to all my lives, even ones where being close to perfection made my soul dark. It wasn’t because it was my nature, anymore. Rather, it was because in that universe, darker made people happier.

This feeling had gotten me hurt. I didn’t mind. Even when I was suffering and being hurt, so long as others were happy, I felt happy.

I was selfless.

In the most selfish way.

In between, we had something to do. Every existence is imprinted on our soul. In between, the millions of existences I’ve experienced, I can remember, every single sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound, was not forgotten. I could immerse myself in those memories. Live a life all over again. Forget I was in the between and that I was in a memory, that there were other memories, and become that existence. When I did this, I made the same choices every time, but it was still wonderful, since I forgot there were other choices that could be made. I would experience the pain and the happiness as though it was the first time. I liked it.

We had a purpose. Universes were affected by the existences in them. Sometimes, there was an existence that would ‘screw everything up’ (as I remember it being called in some lives) and so, we were used. The best suited soul would take the place of the one that would ruin everything, and make sure things went how they should.

If everyone knew about predestination, I think they would be upset. Free will was still there though. It was just that the choices made with free will were meant to be made. So when souls malfunctioned and did what they were not meant to do, the Universe fell apart.

That is why we were necessary.

It was not because the being that rules over all was a tyrant who would not allow things to fall out of line. It was because, when a Universe was created, all existences had something they were meant to do. If something went wrong, then it would cease to exist, along with the rest of the Universe. Sometimes the connected multiverses would collapse as well.

When all those souls ceased to exist, it made the Infallible One sad. When their Universe collapsed, the souls would get no afterlife. They would simply cease to be. So the Infallible One had us to prevent that. I wanted to prevent it too. I loved the others, in all Universes. I loved them happy. If they ceased, they would never be sad. They would never be happy either.

I didn’t like that.

So we were there. I called us tweens (the term was from some of the worlds, used for those who were not quite children, but not quite teens, trapped between the two. I thought it was ‘ironic’, and ‘clever’) and the others agreed. They always agreed with me. The concept of ‘respecting those who are oldest and wisest’ came from self, so it existed. I was both old, wise, and adored. So they listened.

I think they liked the name as well.

The Infallible One could have programmed all the existences to follow what they were meant to do without deviation. Yet, He wanted his creations to be able to be happy, and unique, and sad, and  _ feel _ . So he made free will. We had free will too. When we replaced an existence, it wasn’t guaranteed to work. It probably would. Whichever soul was best suited, and most likely to keep the Universe from collapsing, would be who was chosen. There was still free will though. So long as there was free will, things could still go wrong  _ (but it was worth it even then). _

It happened before. I felt very sad when it happened. The others did too. I felt sad, so they felt sad because I did.

I was grateful they cared about me so much.

I always had lots of existences caring about me. The tweens cared. Whenever I entered a Universe, lots of existences cared about me too. Even though I didn’t really have my memories, (unless I was given past memories from a previous existence to help in the new one) the same thing happened quite a few times.

Multiple people fell in love with me. I also fell in love with them. I often refused to choose anyone, because I could not stand the thought of hurting any of them so badly. For some reason, this often resulted in me gaining a ‘harem’. Usually with both genders, and things of neither gender, in it. Some tweens have theorized I have a very magnetic soul, and that everyone would rather share me, than lose me. This seems like a good theory. I am uncertain as to its validity however.

They also teased me, joking that I was the “harem master” to beat all others.

(They actually weren’t joking.)

Whenever this happened, I rarely died in a horrific manner, like was common due to my recklessness when it came to protecting others. They were very overprotective. I protected them too. I hated killing in my preferred lives, but I am selfish. I cannot help putting those I love above those I don’t. I would unhesitatingly do anything, from mutilating myself, to mentally destroying myself, to protect my loved ones. I always try to avoid this though. I know that they would be very hurt, and not happy at all, if I died.

Best to avoid that.

I’m selfish though. Even if it hurt them, I would rather die first. I don’t want to be sad. If they died I would be sad.

It was funny how common multiple lovers was throughout my lives. Or at least multiple people in love with me, since it didn’t always work out, though it usually did. Even without memories of my previous lives, the base of my soul is the same, after all. So I guess it’s not too shocking my lives follow the same patterns.

The tweens are getting restless.

Why?

Ah. Looks like it’s time. My next existence.

Information?

Oh dear.

Souls will be externally displayed on the physical plane. That’s rare. It seems they’ll take the form of wings. The more attractive the wings, the more people like the person. As a representation of the soul, the more beautiful the personality and soul, the stronger and more beautiful the wings. It manifested in appearance as well. People like things that are beautiful. They also like good personalities. In this world, you will get both, or neither.

I would get a lot of attention this life.

There also was something referred to as Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics. It seems I would be an Omega. This dynamic has appeared in several of my previous lives. I have been all three. It seems there was a fourth group. Outliers? A fourth group was rare. Alphas were protective, leaders, powerful, possessive, dominant. The fairly common version, then. Betas made up the most of the population. Similar to Alphas, but many times less animalistic, better control, fewer leadership qualities. Followers mostly, though some can be leaders, it is rare. Also possessive, can be either dominant or submissive, depending on their partner and personal preferences. Both classes commonly have aggressive or defensive affinities. The other class...

Omega. My class in this world. They often seem to get the short end of the stick in most worlds. At least it doesn’t seem too bad here. The ratio is a bit extreme though. One Alpha to one-thousand Betas, one Omega to ten-thousand Alphas. An imbalance like this never works out smoothly. Omegas, the inevitably submissive class. Incites extreme overprotective tendencies in the other two classes. The precious gems among the rocks. Animal instincts demand the AB’s dominate, control, and protect the Om’s, often in a rough way, however, losing to your instincts is looked down upon. They often have healing and psychic affinities. The laws and society as a whole  _ very heavily favors _ the Omegas. Of course, some Alphas and Betas act poorly towards them, due to a perception of weakness, or simply not having enough control of their instincts. Such actions towards an Omega would have every AB-type in the vicinity reacting very brutally. Often in a fatal manner. The desire to ensure an Omegas well-being would rapidly override other instincts.

Things seem to be weighed fairly heavily in the Omegans favor. There are downsides, but being born one seems to ensure an easy and comfortable lifestyle. Of course, there will always be something to offset this. The fourth class. Outliers. They are entirely uninterested in Alphas and Betas. No attempts at domination or submission towards either. At first glance, the closest to the generic human template throughout the universes. They are closest in strength and personality to Alphas. However, toward Omegas, they can only be called their natural enemy. 

Beyond the desire to dominate, like the other classes, Outliers have the desire to decimate. Being in range of an Omega brings in their single instinct, and draws out an incredibly sadistic nature. They don’t have a desire to kill Omegas. They instead want to  _ break _ them. Different people have different inclinations. Some prefer physical torture, with varying preferences, others like to destroy them mentally or emotionally, and others still go for sexual abuse. They cannot be called naturally evil. An outlier can be a perfectly kind and gentle person, until an Omega is brought in. It is possible to control these inclinations however. If one should manage to bring them under control, a case which is exceedingly rare, they will undergo a second maturity, becoming an Alpha. This usually only happened if they previously knew an Omega before maturing. Even then, they would need to care a lot to force themselves to control their instincts. It was possible to convert one to the point they never became an Outlier in the first place, but that was even rarer.

If they did manage this, they were some of the most powerful Alphas of all. If they gained control thanks to caring enough for an Omega to not assault them, they would often fixate on said Omega.

What a unique system. Not too shocking though. With all of the advantages Omegas had in this world, there needed to be something to counterbalance it. Three fourths of the population was made up of A/B/Om classes, while Outliers made up the remaining fourth. In history, Outliers were originally fiercely discriminated against, to the point that if you met one, it was perfectly okay to kill them, without any reason other than what they were. Over time, they gained rights, and things eventually changed. Now, the Outliers simply lived in a different area than the other parts of the population. None went onto the other groups territory unless absolutely necessary, and even then, it was scheduled ahead of time in order to keep any Omegas out of the vicinity.

Alphas and Betas awakened, or hit their maturity, at 14-16 years old, Omegas at 5, and Outliers at 7. The first 2 years, the brain develops at an extremely rapid pace, so the child will have the maturity of an elementary schooler by the end. Maturing rate then stagnates, so most will have the thought processes of an elementary or middle schooler at 30. After they hit 35, maturity will speed up again, though not as much as the  _ early  _ years, until they hit 45, which is young adult, at which point they will remain at that mentality for the next few hundred years.

I could already feel the tug towards my destination pulling at my soul. It was weak, but in a few minutes I would be dragged along whether or not I resisted. Quickly, quickly.

Lifespan? 600 years is considered short, and usually the result of a weak soul. Average is 800, and more powerful souls may live beyond their 1000s. Also, should one have a strong enough bond with their mate/mates, they will die at the same time. Weaker mates will essentially get to piggyback on the stronger’s lifespan.

Relationships? Polyamory is the most common among all classes. Same and different gender relationships are both accepted.

Family? Kuroko Tetsuya, with two mothers, and seven dads. How? Ah, genetic experimentation without their permission. I hope they react well to me, it never is pleasant growing up without a loving family.

Reason for replacement? The original broke due to events that will occur fairly early. Looks like this life is going to be far from comfortable, at least in the beginning.

Now, a little background information? Let’s see, it’s commonly known that souls are reincarnated, so it’s only fairly rare to see a child with very mature mannerisms. No souls will retain their memories, but they will retain strong impressions from past lives, such as personality or a skill they were particularly good at. It seems that I’ll be a bit of a prodigy in this life, considering I’ve had millions of lives to master every skill. Supernaturally enhanced capabilities are extremely common, so schools and any sports field had technology that would seal off any capabilities outside of human limits.

I can feel my soul having my new personality printed on it. Souls will always be the same at their base, but with a new body, there will be different inclinations. It’s sort of like adding a design on top of the original paint coat. Different on the top layer, but at the base, it’s still the same. I feel a rather extreme liking towards basketball, and a very kind personality. I’m glad, that’s my preferred type of life.

Then, I let go, and was pulled into my new Universe. As my memories were balled up and hidden in the center of my soul, impossible to reach and not to be seen again until I returned to the between, my last though was,  _ I hope I make people happy in this life _ .

The last though you have before reincarnating often leaves an impression on your actions, after all.

_ (I hope I’m happy too…) _

* * *

 

_ Blue. _

_ Cold. _

_ People. _

_ Who? _

_ Bad feeling. _

_ Sleep. _

_ Liquid? Floating. _

_ Breathing? Breathing. Mask. Air. _

_ People are back. _

_ Giving off bad feelings. Scary. Amusement. Anger. Boredom. Joy? Not good. _

_ Laughter. Why? _

_ Me. _

“His brain is at a developmental stage of someone around 3 to 4 years old, despite being only 2 days old, sir.”

“So, a reincarnation, then?”

I felt a spark of recognition at this. It took me another moment to realize how my development was so far along. I was reaching out with my soul, gathering information from the people around me. From the information gathered, it seems I have a rather strong telepathic ability. I also agreed on the reincarnation part. Even with the gathered information I’ve retrieved, the only reason I could have instinctually reached out with psychic abilities so early on is that I’ve got the instincts of someone who did that sort of thing, which considering my age, could only have come from a past life.

A chuckle from outside. “It seems he is aware, at least. That got some recognition from him.”

I noticed something else then. I was floating in a liquid, like I registered before I could really comprehend what was going on. Said liquid was inside of a large cylindrical tube, that was rather conveniently transparent. There were several people outside, none of them with especially appealing appearances. From what I lifted from their minds, appearances and wings were based on your soul, which meant these people weren’t the best caretakers for a child. Or the best anything, really.

I rifled through their skulls a bit more, skills rapidly improving even as I did so. They stole DNA from my parents, a group of Alphas who were incredibly close, likely more than friends, and used it to create me. My embryo was rather carefully cultivated, in order to get the best possible traits. Everything from physical capabilities to intelligence, charisma, strategy, heck, my voice was edited to the point that if I wanted to, I could enthrall everyone in the vicinity with the sound of it after a little practice. Most did this so that I would be able to be a excellent figurehead for them, though there was someone thinking that my voice would be perfect for phone sex when I grew up. I wasn’t sure what that was, and my instincts warned me away from pursuing that line of thought, so I moved on.

It didn’t take long to figure out that these people were doing something highly illegal, not to mention stupid. Stealing the DNA of one of the most powerful groups in the world, made up of Alphas, a group that were known for being protective of people in general, and took it up to eleven when it came to their own children?

Stupid.

I could feel a very distant presence brushing against my mind, and the comforting feeling it inspired had me brushing my own mind against it in return, without thinking. The reaction was instantaneous. The presence wrapped itself around me, and I felt my consciousness being cradled in another. It was a warm feeling, and I naively didn’t struggle, instead relaxing into the warm mental presence. Luckily, the other’s intentions were good. Their mind was opened to me, and I quickly realized it was female. Thoughts and memories spilled out to me, obviously attempting to open themselves up in order to gain my trust.

So, this was one of my mothers. She was one of the most powerful psychics in the world, with strong telekinesis, strong _ er _ telepathy, and the strong _ est _ empath, able to feel and categorize the emotions and reasons behind them, of everyone in a 25 kilometer radius. Touching someone, to her, was basically opening herself up to all their thoughts, emotions, and even some memories if she dug a bit. She was also capable of influencing the emotions of the people around her, like calming down a large group, or inspiring panic or fear among enemies.

Basically, Mother was super cool.

From what I could gather, they found out about the gene theft 2 weeks ago, and after calming down, talked to each other about it. About 4 days ago, when their genes were in the last stages of being utilized to create me, 2 days before I properly gained sentience, Mother sensed me. Everyone has a supernatural connection on the level of the soul to their family, allowing them to sense each other and feel strong emotions, but that was it, usually. For someone with psychic powers as strong as mothers, she was instantly aware of my coming into existence. When she shared this with the others (trembling with anger at the time), it took a few seconds for them to focus and find it, but soon, all 9 were well aware of my existence.

They then proceeded to fly into a rage. Luckily, none of them were angry about my existence (they wanted children, but they really were nothing more than friends living together, and none had found those special someones), instead, they were furious about what had been done to create me, and worried about what might be done to me next, which increased their anger further. After calming down, they initiated a frantic search, with Mother being assisted by my other mother and 7 dads in order to scan for me. That led up to now, with me being wrapped in my Mother’s mental embrace.

* * *

 

Matsukaze Kagura had been through a very trying 4 days. Finding out she and her closest friends all had their genes stolen, made her very angry. Finding out that those genes were being used to make a child for God knows what nefarious purposes enraged her to the point that she couldn’t think straight, alongside the rest of her friends. It may not have been intentional, but they now had a child together, and the concept of ignoring or abandoning that child hadn’t even appeared in their minds.

As the parents, they needed to protect their child. The realization that what could only be considered a precious gift was in the hands of a bunch of unscrupulous bastards lit a fire within them. When they snapped out of their red haze, they certainly hadn’t calmed down. Rather, that anger was simply contained, boiling beneath the surface, in their hearts and through their blood.

As they kept a lid over their fury, the contained flame only burned hotter. It only grew worse when, after 4 days, Kagura finally managed to find her baby. The way a mind had tentatively brushed up against her own had, for a split second, made her reactively prepare a simultaneous offense and defense that would instantly crush them if hostility was shown. This reaction barely lasted a nanosecond. Upon realizing it was her baby who was responding to her mental probe, she couldn’t help reflexively reaching out to wrap herself around his mind. She realized after a moment that this action might have frightened him, frantically opening her mind to pour out proof of her trustworthiness (what if he didn’t like her, oh God), and after a moment of this, regained control of herself. She hadn’t reacted so instinctively in a long, long time. What if it had been a trap?

Her next discovery, though, removed such thoughts, and forever sealed her love and adoration for him. Focusing again, she saw her sweet, darling child relaxing in her mental embrace. This was like the metaphysical equivalent of her holding him, and him cuddling into her arms. The warmth she felt from this action was something that had been rare in her life, what with her upbringing. She vowed to herself that she would make sure her son experienced this warmth often  _ (after she ripped those ingrates apart, crush their bones and grind them into dust-) _ .

Pulling herself to attention and remembering her purpose, she used her son as a medium to search the minds of those around him, and what she found fanned the newly converted protective flames of fury to an all new high. The others, who had been linked with her for the sake of supporting her search with their energy, had gotten the same feelings, and so a few minutes later, a group of nine were heading to his location with wings beating the air like thunderclaps, so quickly that they likely broke several laws.

Not like the police would say anything to  _ them _ .

3 hours later, a well-hidden building was ripped through like wet paper, namely by the group's resident powerhouse, Tsutomu Yoshitake, affectionately referred to as Shiitake-chan, who also literally ripped apart anyone who happened to be between him and his direct destination, his son. The blood splattering along the white walls made the scene somewhat reminiscent of a horror scene, giving the place an ominous feeling. Upon reaching the room he was held in, the reinforced door that had been closed and locked at the start of the invasion, was shredded, a small hand with sharp claws tipping the ends ripping through with laughable ease. The terrifying group of nine, who were letting off a threatening aura, were greeted by the sight of a baby big enough to fit in a pocket being unhooked from several ominous looking machines.

_ Their baby. _

Instinct pushing any logical thoughts to the background, Tsutomu Hayashi then proceeded to live up to his reputation as one of the fastest existences in this world. Disappearing for under a second, and immediately reappearing with the tiny child in his arms, he looked down, and was met with the face of a child who, despite his tiny size, looked considerably more developed that he should have at this stage.

To them, he could only be called the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. (Though most likely everyone else would think that as well, but they were his parents, and it was very, very different.)

Doubtless this was thanks to the things who were cowering in the corner, and who had already collapsed to the ground and soiled their garments thanks to the pheromones the powerful group of Alphas was giving off. Combined with the malicious aura, low snarls, and feeling of utter terror being forced upon them with Kagura’s empathy, it was more of a shock that their hearts hadn’t stopped from fear.

This was actually thanks to the expert skill of the group, who didn’t want to kill anyone in front of their child.

At that moment, porcelain pale eyelids opened, revealing the most beautiful teal blue eyes any of the people in the room had ever lain eyes upon (and they had seen some beautiful people, well-developed,  _ adult _ people), shocking jewels that made everyone and everything else they had ever seen, seem dull in comparison. For a split second, taking in his childish, sweet scent, the parents lost control of themselves, Alpha instincts raging stronger than they had ever felt before, demanding they protect this perfect little creature, their beautiful, beautiful son. Demanding that any potential threats be instantly neutralized.

The fools in the room had their hearts stop at the exact same time.

While they would have loved to slowly torture the things to death, their instincts deemed it more important to be rid of any threats to their son’s precious life. When it came to protecting something, they could be practical like no other. After all, as long as the enemy lived, there was the potential possibility of the one under their protection being injured. It wasn’t worth making them suffer if their child was at risk.

The jewel-eyed baby yawned, and thoughts of the now-dead fools fled their minds. The newly minted, extremely overpowered family proceeded to freak out over their tiny son, leaving as quickly as they came.

It was too bad that they didn’t think to search out the rest of the people in the compound. They had only killed the people in the way, and the people in the room with their son. The compound was much larger than that, with many more people.

A man with a friendly face and gentle eyes smiled genially, having watched the scene from a security room. Tossing a small device in the air, and catching it again, he turned to leave.

Too bad they had forgotten.

It would have saved them a lot of heartbreak.

* * *

 

Kuroko Tetsuya. That was the name chosen for the tiny boy who had come into their lives in a decidedly unexpected manner. His last name was taken from the other woman in the group, Kuroko Kumiro. This was for two reasons. First, the child took after her. He had a ridiculously low presence, and the realization that if it wasn’t for the soul connection they had with him as his parents, they likely would have lost him several times by now, was one that nearly caused a panic.

(Said panic was abruptly calmed when, for the first time making a noise out loud, the blue-eyed child cooed. Everyone still nearly went into palpitations, but for a different reason.)

Also, despite being only 2 months old, he had already developed a mature personality. It didn’t take long to realize that, with the combination of him being a reincarnation with imprinted maturity, his sped up development from being a manufactured baby, and finally his uncontrolled tendency of lifting knowledge from everyone in the vicinity, he had the intellect of a teenager. A genius teenager. This nearly made them cry at the realization he was practically already grown up, before they realized that he may have had the  _ intellect _ of a teenager, he still had the  _ mentality _ of a 2 month old child.

He was easily impressed, delighted at the smallest things, and was essentially a child in every sense of the word, outside of the fact that he could hold complicated and intelligent conversations through telepathy. He would have been talking out loud, if not for the fact that his vocal cords weren’t even close to developed enough to make anything except for baby gibberish.

This brings us to the next issue. He was 2 months of age, could only make weird baby noises aloud, and yet, and yet… His voice could only be described as musical. Everytime he opened his mouth, everyone in the vicinity would stop and listen. Whenever he spoke, his borderline invisible presence would fall away like rain off an umbrella. It was impossible  _ not _ to notice him. This had them frantically worrying. When you could make the sounds “guh”, “wagh”, “agu”, and other such noises sound like the finest music anyone would ever get the chance to hear, the thought of what would happen when he got older nearly sent the Alphas into palpitations.

(Really, the thought of him getting older, period, drove them into a depressed corner. They had known how quickly children matured during the first two years, but having to watch it yourself was  _ different _ .)

Little Tetsuya hadn’t only charmed his parents though. The 9 lived in a decently sized mansion, one with plenty of space, yet not so huge that it could only be called pretentious and unnecessary. Such a large home naturally required someone to care for it, and the overpowered family frankly didn’t have time. So, they hired a group of 30 betas to care for the house. Their attitudes weren’t those of servant and master, however, rather, it was that of a large family. The 9 Alphas reigned over the house, but didn’t overly flaunt their dominance. They were in their 80s, and while exceptionally young for ones of their power, anything less than excellent control over their instincts could only be labeled as embarrassing. So long as no one was foolish enough to challenge them, they were surprisingly laid back, an attitude that only came with maturity.

(“We aren’t the upstart younglings we used to be.” Kimuro said cooly, spaghetti sauce dripping down her expressionless face. In the background Hayashi was swinging Yoshitake around as the other thrashed and threatened his twin’s manhood  _ “if you don’t put me down right now, you wannabe beanpole!”  _ Kunio was sleeping upside down in his recliner, while Gin was force-feeding a tied up Kamui a freshly-baked vanilla-mint pie with his usual smile. All as Kagura laughed behind her fan, simultaneously eyeing Ueki whose expression was rapidly darkening as he stared at his knocked over tea. Senri just smiled flirtatiously and winked at the camera, though as it was moved away, you could barely catch his smile becoming an irritated smirk.)

Tetsuya had learned quite quickly over the past two months, not just about talking and reading, but about his new family. He adored them as much as they adored him, which was to the point they would rip apart the world itself for his sake. Basically, to the point of obsession. With his genius intellect and perfect memory, he utilized these gifts in what he considered the best possible manner.

To make his family happy.

He carefully studied all 39 inhabitants, with focus on his parents of course, learning what they enjoyed and disliked. As a baby, there were quite a few things he couldn’t do. There were also quite a few things he could. There wasn’t a person in the house who wouldn’t make time for him if he asked, so he had to study that as well, in order to avoid bothering them at an inopportune time. He also honed his empathy, which proved to be difficult, yet rewarding. He was a natural at it, true, but he was very much a young child. To be able to sense the emotions of everyone on the property, even if it was only strong emotions, with him being capable of a bit more finesse the closer they were, well, it could only be called genius to an unrealistic degree.

(Everyone could only think that nothing good would come of this, as they watched him crawling for the first time a few days after managing to roll over. This foreboding feeling naturally didn’t deter them from fawning over him as Tetsuya smiled at his latest accomplishment.)

So Tetsuya stalked (he preferred the term intense observation) all the people of the household until he knew exactly what would make them happy. Combined with using his empathy, if someone was the least bit  _ un _ happy in the house, he would track them down with the accuracy of a homing missile, bringing along whatever item he had found would best cheer them up. Gulliver for example, would be overjoyed to be brought a ball of yarn, for the sake of indulging in some knitting. It made him even happier if Tetsuya expressed interest in watching. Whenever she was feeling down, Anastasia would find herself chasing the blue-haired child (and  _ damn _ his hair was beautiful) until she somehow ended up in the kitchen, where he would telepathically request to watch her cook.

The joy they felt every time he did something like that made every second  _ more _ than worth the effort put in. He knew that it made John happy to read aloud to him, John’s twin sister, Jane enjoyed playing the childish clapping games such as pattycake with him, and Gin, one of his parents, with his perpetual smile and forever closed eyes, loved a good game of Go. This also helped Tetsuya in his telekinesis and strategy. Just moving the pieces was difficult! Plus, spending time with the man was always a learning experience.

Of course, the ones he knew most about were the Wild 9 themselves. They were all geniuses in their respective fields, and could expertly wield at least one combat style, since it was vital to their protection. When you stand at the top, people will always try and knock you down. They made sure that such attempts will be met with failure.

_ (A short pop and one more corpse to clean up. Uncaring golden eyes didn’t even glance at the corpse, only shooting a distasteful look when some blood got on his shoes. _

_ “Pathetic. This trash doesn’t even know his place in death. To think of coming after my son? Though, knowing I even have a son... It seems that someone has been getting complacent.” A voice as cold as it was beautiful dripped like honey from finely shaped lips, coiling and hanging in the air as though it couldn’t bear to let the sound completely fade yet. _

_ A phone was flipped open, cheap, disposable, untraceable. “Another mess to clean up. No, fool, I did not do anything this time. Except disposing of the garbage, but that is hardly worth mentioning.”) _

What he managed to put together was fairly decent, though he knew there was lots more to learn.

Matsukaze Kagura. One of the top 50 strongest psychics in the world, she had raven black hair falling to her hips, and gleaming silver eyes. She stood tall at 6 feet, and her thin frame was accented by pale skin. Wings of the purest white with gold-tipped feathers, as though an angel descended to earth, built for fast turns and maneuvering. She came from a powerful, rich noble family, whose stifling traditions made her into the perfect Japanese Noblewoman, at least in the public eye. Her posture was perfect, she was cool, intelligent, and serene, able to pick apart a person with a casual glance. She knew people, and herded the sheep with a graceful ease anyone would be envious of, if they ever realized she was doing it. She adored kimono’s, and could never be found without multiple beautiful fans on her (which doubled as Tessen, powerful battle fans that she wielded effortlessly, and most of all, effectively). She had a habit of hiding her face behind one of said fans, slyly smiling over the top, and was always planning something, though whether it was good or not depended on what she thought of you. When angered, she would have you penniless and on the streets within the day, all while smiling genially over the top of her fan. Among trusted friends though, she had a rather extreme liking for alcohol, and the tolerance to match. She didn’t tolerate the cheap brands, but being brought a bottle of the good stuff would have her breaking composure and crying tears of joy.

(“Oh, Tetsuya? What’s that you have there… C-Chivas Regal? How did you know it’s my favorite? No, it hardly matters, I think I’ve worked hard enough for today…” A few seconds later, she froze, before asking how he even got his hands on it with a sadistic look in her eyes [whoever was giving her baby alcohol, no matter how good the brand is, should prepare themselves]. Unfortunately, Tetsuya planned for this, and one pair of droopy blue eyes and one cup of alcohol later, the matter was forgotten. Afterwards though, he would leave it in her cabinet, to avoid his source being… handled.)

The next two were Tsutomu Hayashi and Tsutomu Yoshitake, the twins coming as a package deal. With identical mops of light-brown hair and burning orange eyes that literally glowed (a trait Tetsuya inherited), the two were considered fairly handsome. The mild-tempered twins were the close-combatants of the group, Yoshitake at 5 feet and strong enough to rip through reinforced steel with his bare hands, though his speed and flexibility wasn’t the greatest, his endurance let him take quite a few hits and carry on for hours without tiring. Hayashi meanwhile topped off at 6’ 7”, a point he playfully lorded over his tiny brother, and was the speed fighter of the group. Opposite to his twin, he had lightning fast reflexes, and was fast enough that when at top speed, it seemed closer to teleportation. Unfortunately, his stamina was extreme. Extremely low. Moving at his top speed not only exhausted him to the point he was immobile and vulnerable in 30 seconds, he would also end up with severe muscle pain for a week. The two had stunning jewel-like orange wings, Yoshitake’s powerful with a large wingspan, meant for stamina and gliding, and Hayashi’s more suited to incredibly high-speed flying in a straight line, though maneuvering wasn’t his strong suit. The two excelled at sports, never having encountered a single one that they weren’t exceptional at, but martial arts was the two’s one true love. Basically, the resident fight freaks. Their motto was essentially “If violence isn’t the answer, you must not be using enough of it.”

They were totally softies on the inside, though.

(“Hey, Tetsu~, come with us, kay?” Without being able to do anything more than blink, he found himself carted off to an unknown place. Apparently though, their reason for being there was the DDR game sitting in the middle of the room. It took the bluenet another moment to realize that it was the twins who had kidnapped him. He ended up watching a three hour dance off on various songs, at the hardest level, that ended in a fight which destroyed the yard after Hayashi went through the walls when his brother slammed a punch into the other’s gut upon his 4th loss.)

Then, there was Benjiro Gin. The strategist. Silver hair and pitch black eyes, he fit rather snugly into the stereotype of guys with constantly closed eyes and never-fading smiles being sadistic and creepy. He was a genius, every single plan he had ever made never even came close to failing. It didn’t matter what you were doing, if there was a choice with a possibility of winning, he would find it. Unexpectedly, he had an extreme sweet tooth, enjoying all candies, but his true passion was vanilla shakes. If you couldn’t find him playing strategy games on the computer, Go with Tetsuya, or something similarly strategic, you could find him in the kitchen with an apron on, baking some sweets for the only person he would never set up for the sake of laughing at whatever may occur. Kuroko Tetsuya. Basically, he coddled him. Of course, that didn’t mean he went easy on him either. He made sure to teach “Suya-tan” about manipulation and strategy. He was sensible enough to know he couldn’t always be there, and so tried to prepare Tetsuya for when he wouldn’t be. His wings were a shocking deep purple, and were essentially an all-rounder type, not especially good or bad at anything.

(“Hm~? Oh, Suya-tan, what would you like?”

_ Stare. _

“Hmm, I see, I see. Snacks, snacks- ah, here we go~. Vanilla shake! Now, listen closely, Suya-tan. Whenever you eat something someone made for you, you should absolutely savor every bite. Pay attention, too, and compliment them on specific things. If you can, figure out what they spent the most effort on, and use that. Flattery will get you all  _ sorts _ of places, as long as they don’t know that’s what your doing. People let their guard down when someone sincerely compliments them, so if it’s no good, just don’t say anything. Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words. Don’t forget, okay, Suya-tan? I’m sure this’ll come in handy someday, when you need something from someone.”

Tetsuya had, of course, listened carefully and committed each word to memory. This was someone he cared about after all. However, the only outward reaction he showed, was a completely unrelated one.

A small smile at the taste of his new favorite snack, and a quiet, “it’s delicious.” Gin simply sighed, though he was rather proud that Suya-tan complimented his cooking. His son was so reserved these days!)

Then there was the ‘leader’ of the group. They usually didn’t have any sort of hierarchy among themselves, but when it came down to the wire, he was the one they turned to. Kunio, no last name. He was relaxed, friendly, and carefree, preferring to spend his time sleeping or reading, but was practically the saying “let sleeping dragons lie” in human form. When the switch was flipped, he became cold, ruthless, and terrifying. He didn’t hold any interest in playing around with enemies, mercilessly hunting them down without rest, before neutralizing the threat. His hair was a plain grey, long bangs covering his eyes, which were blue, one darker than the other. His wings were a representation of the dual nature of his soul. The left was a light, peaceful sky blue, while the other was deep indigo, like staring down into the ocean at night. The darker half of his nature usually slept, but if awakened, wouldn’t rest until whatever woke him was taken care of. Basically, he was usually lazy, but reliable in times of need.

(“Mm… Tetsuya-chan? Ah, I see, I see! You came to spend some time with me, eh? Alright then, come up here, I don’t mind.”

“...”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry! This branch is nice and sturdy, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“...”

“Oh, you need help getting up? Ah, don’t look at me like that, I’m not making fun of you, now hold on, there!” He chuckled upon seeing the barely-there pout on his son’s face, a hint of pinking coloring pale cheeks.

“Now then, just lay down, and we can have a nice nap.”

This soon became a weekly event.)

There was also Anri Ueki. Violent, temperamental, and with a tea addiction. His hair was spiky and pale yellow, and his eyes were like cut emeralds, green, cold and sharp. He was also one of the best healers around. When it came to treating the sick, his demeanor instantly changed into a kind, gentle doctor. Of course, if someone should try and avoid being treated despite obviously needing it, he was quite good at retrieving them without causing additional harm. He had a soft spot for Tetsuya, just like everyone else, and would share his tea with him, despite assaulting anyone else who tried to take some. His wings were emerald green. He couldn’t fly with them. The topic would be met with silence should someone try raising it. He fought with a small wazashi, aiming for vitals with perfect surgical precision.

(“Tetsuya.”

“Hai.”

“I’ve gotten ahold of some high-quality vanilla tea. Come and drink it with me.”

The child simply reached for his hand and stared expectantly in response. The two immediately set off, quickly reaching a pleasant sun room, where the tea was already waiting. After seating themselves and pouring the both of them a cup, Ueki spoke.

“Tetsuya. A good cup of tea is something to be appreciated. Rushing through and not savoring the flavor is like an insult to the work put into preparing the tea. Thus, make sure to have a respectful heart whenever you drink any, and be grateful for what you have.”

Tetsuya nodded, and for a while, they simply drank tea together, enjoying the peace, atmosphere, and good company. As the last of the tea was finished off, Ueki spoke again.

“What I said can be applied to more things than tea.” Turning to leave, Tetsuya’s response was pushed into his mind.

_ “I won’t forget.” _ )

Sakuya Senri was next, and also happened to be the resident superstar. Messy purple hair and sharp slit-golden eyes, along with an incredible voice and charisma that could make a room full of married women drop their panties in seconds, he acted friendly and cheerful to the public. Actually though, he was incredibly arrogant and antisocial, looking down on everyone else as inferior. The rest of the Wild 9 were the only ones he considered to be worth his time. Obviously, Tetsuya was the only other one who he considered his equal. Anyone who barged in on time spent with Tetsuya was not received well. He had an obsession with video games, and could use every gun as though he was born to, though his weapon of choice was a pair of dual pistols. He could wield an instrument with just as much grace. To describe him shortly: two-faced. His wings were a beautiful gold that put the precious metal to shame, and were built more for aesthetics than practicality, though they could still be used.

(“Oi, Tet. C’mere, I managed to grab that game you’ve been eyeing.” Despite the other not changing expression, Senri could easily tell his son was happy.

“Yeah, you better be glad. Now hurry up, I ain’t got all day.”  _ Well, he really did, especially for Tetsuya, but it was just the kind of thing you said in this situation. _

Soon enough, the two were ensconced in overly comfortable chairs, controllers in hand and struggling to outmatch the other. Senri won easily, even with the handicap of only using one hand and one eye. The other was just a child, though, whose motor control, while exceptional for his age, just couldn’t keep up.

“Heh. Good game, Tet. I’m proud.”

The near-expressionless boy’s eyes softened, mouth twitching up slightly, and Senri counted it as a victory.)

Then, there was Akatori Kamui. A rich boy, he was originally pompous and arrogant, and rightfully so, with a perfect memory and genius intellect, along with good looks. His posse of mindless followers was the biggest rival of the, at the time, Wild 8. While he could beat the others in academic pursuits, he never once won in any of their specialized fields. Somehow, he fell into the group, making it the nine they are today. He was a tsundere to the extreme, and despite his genius intellect, held a strange liking for household chores. A total mother hen. He also had good looks, like the rest, with large ruby eyes, blue hair, and wings of fiery crimson meant for gliding. Tetsuya quickly discovered that even though he acted like he didn’t enjoy it, the red blush and happy feelings filling the air whenever Tetsuya brought him some string to play cat's cradle with, proved how much the constantly-in-denial Alpha enjoyed it.

(“Tetsuya-kun. What is it you need?”

Not responding, the child just held up some string to the older male.

“Ah, so you’ve chosen this again? Well, alright, I suppose I can make some time for you. Don’t think it’s because I like you or anything, I simply have a bit of free time.” He then spent the next hour manipulating the string into various shapes and designs, nimble fingers easily maneuvering into the required positions to produce the desired outcome. The tsundere ended up getting lost in the simple game, unconsciously doing his best to impress the other with his abilities.

“Yew, ur, va-ri, gud.” The sweet voice made him stiffen in shock, whirling around to stare at the child whose eyebrows were slightly creased in concentration as he attempted to force his underdeveloped vocal chords and mouth to form the desired words. This was the second time the boy had spoken aloud, the first time had been when all of them were together, where he produced a mangled version of “love you”. There was an incredibly over-the-top celebration on this momentous occasion. Since then, however, he hadn’t said a word, presumably due to embarrassment at not managing to speak well. Thus, Kamui flushed crimson at the knowledge that he was the one who got to hear their son’s voice a second time.

Eventually, the child gave up on producing the desired sounds, and took to his usual method. Telepathy.

_ “Your skills are exceptional, Kamui-tousan. I’m very impressed.” _

Flushing an even deeper red than before, Kamui managed to stutter out something about accepting the compliment, before fleeing the scene. Tetsuya just gave a tiny smile.)

Finally, the one whose last name he had taken. Kuroko Kumori. She had light blue hair in a pixie cut, and a stunning hourglass figure. Her presence was naturally incredibly low, similar to Tetsuya’s, a fact which she countered with her pushy, seductive mannerisms, and risque wardrobe. She also was an assassin/hacker. Of course, she always investigated the client and target before choosing whether she would take the job. Killing wasn’t something she enjoyed, and certainly wasn’t something to do lightly, but due to a reason she promised to tell him when he was older, she kept with it. Her true passion lay in art. She painted stunning works of beauty, drew equally beautiful sketches, and crafted pottery and sculptures that were regarded in awe. Tetsuya enjoyed simply seeking her out and watching her work. Her wings were the black of space, and built like an owl’s, so when she flew, she flew silently.

(“Ahhh~, Tet-ya, my sweet darling boyo~! Look at what mommy made for you, my precious darling~.” With a flourish, the seemingly excitable woman reached into her shadow and pulled out a large painting. It was of him, peacefully napping on the branch of a tree in winter. Though, the branch he was sitting on, and the ground beneath his spot, was clear of snow, and blooming as though it had forgotten it was winter, and decided it was spring instead.

_ “Beautiful.” _

The woman’s smile became more genuine.)

As he got to know everyone, he began taking interest in what they were interested in. He wasn’t entirely certain why, but he had a strange desire, that was closer to an addiction, to making people happy. Seeing someone happy because of something he did, inspired a feeling of euphoria in him. He was willing to destroy himself if it meant making someone happy, though the people he cared for would always take priority, and that would make them sad, so he would hold back. He at least realized it wasn’t exactly natural to think as he did, but he couldn’t help it. As far as he was concerned, his life was simply worth less than theirs. It was so very simple  _ (in a twisted way) _ . He was selfless, in the most selfish way possible.

Anyway, because of this likely(definitely) unhealthy desperation, anything someone he cared for enjoyed, he would enjoy too. Fighting, music, art, strategy, gardening, baking, cooking, tea, healing, studying, video games, psychology, and more. If they liked it, he did too. Everything he did, he picked up so quickly it even shocked him. However, everyone in the house was a genius in their respective field, which meant that even if it was something like a strategy game where he needed to pit himself against someone, he still had Gin, who would infallibly decimate him. There were plenty of other people out there in said fields, who could beat him with ease. Strangely, losing made him happy. The very thought of never losing filled him with fear. He had no clue why, but decided to simply be grateful despite it.

(Deep in his soul, echoes of a life where loss was as foreign a concept as could possibly be, rang out and faded back into obscurity.)

Yet, despite all his hobbies, and habits, and things he loved (because the people he cared for loved them), there was something missing. He hadn’t found something that  _ he  _ loved. Something that he would seek out, and desired to do, not because of someone else, but because of himself, his own desire to do that something. He was nothing if not patient, though, and so he would wait, and wait, and find that something which would complete him. That something he would love with the wholehearted passion momma loved art with, Ueki had tea ceremony and healing, the twins had fighting, Kunio had naps, and no matter how much he denied it, Senri had his music. Mother had traditional dance and alcohol, Gin his strategy games, and Kamui his thing for literature.

Someday though, he would find that something.

So, a year passed like this, with love, and fun, and learning, winning, losing. Then, he grew his wings.


	2. Chapter 2 - On Angel's Wings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer - I own nothing but the plot and OC’s of this story.  
> Same warnings as before. Though, there is a fairly graphic scene of violence? I guess. Well, it’s bloody and painful.

_ Wings are the physical manifestation of your soul. The colour and beauty of your wings tells more about you than anything else, which means that, if you have attractive wings, you are a very attractive mate prospect. If you don’t, well, you probably aren’t that great a person anyways. Don’t worry, there are thousands more totally average people out there, just like you, I’m sure you’ll hook up with one of them and live you totally average lives together. _

_ Your wings will manifest around the age of 2 years old, depending on the strength of your soul, they may manifest sooner. A sign that your wings will be sprouting soon, is that you will start glowing. Literally. None of that pregnant person glow. A glow the color of your soul will appear around you. So don’t freak out. You might end up doing the world a favor and knocking yourself into a coma. Wouldn’t want that, now would we? After a few days, the glow will move and hyper condense around your upper back, condensing further over time, until two long slits around your shoulder blades, glowing bright enough to blind someone, are all that’s left. Congratulations, for the next few hours if anyone looks at your back they’ll burn out their retinas. Hopefully you don’t have stupid friends. _

_ The next step happens quickly, over the course of about 5 minutes. The short time is good, considering it is incredibly painful. So I’d suggest finding something to bite down on as you scream and thrash in agony. The back and chest muscles will begin to sting a few minutes in advance, before suddenly convulsing and rearranging into a musculature that is capable of supporting wings. Well, if you’re lucky enough to be flight-capable they will. If not you’ll just have the equivalent of a fancy-looking withdrawable hang-glider permanently with you. Too bad. _

_ The two slits will then rip open, with your soul bursting outwards and forming a transparent outline of your wing shape. This is pretty much the only non-painful part, though feeling your soul forcibly expel itself outside of your body is kinda weird. In the remaining time, bone, muscle, nerves, tissue, and feathers will rapidly form and grow out, filling into the outline provided by the soul. It’s really going to hurt, but there’s nothing you can do for that so suck it up. At the end of the process, the colorless feathers will be completely infused with the soul, thus completing the process, and creating the colorful appearance that advertises what kind of person you are inside. Don’t mistake it for giving you free info on who’s a “bad” guy and who’s not, though. All they really tell you is the nature of the soul, the beauty of your wings depending on internal fortitude, basically. So you can meet some nice-looking guy with cute fluffy white wings and they’ll be chopping people up and spreading their body parts around the country at night. _

_ Not everyone will be capable of flight, however. Like I said earlier, some of you guys just lucked out. Not really, though, it has nothing to do with luck. Younger, weaker souls will often develop wings that don’t have the proper shape for flying, they may be too small, or perhaps they simply didn’t develop the required muscular structure. It’s very rare to find an Alpha incapable of flight, equally rare to find a Beta who is, and there has never once been an Omega who is not capable of flight. _

_ Outliers don’t have wings. The only way to grow them is through becoming an Alpha. There is another method, but nobody knows anything about it. All that is known is it is expressly forbidden. So don’t even go there, since the kill on sight penalty will be instated if you do. Well, that is if you manage to find out what it is. _

_ Back to Omegas, though. They are not fighters. Not because they are weak, in fact, they have some of the best physiology for combat, with exceptional speed, strength, and endurance. It’s believed that this is due to the way that nature frequently makes the mothers and caretakers the strongest of the species, as the one who cares for and protects the home and young. The issue with Omegas fighting, is instinct. Studies have shown that the very thought of harming another is enough to send an Omega into a panic attack. The only exception to this is when it comes to protecting family, flock, or younglings. Basically, these cute little cream puffs are the only truly decent people in existence. _

_ Thus, in order to balance out this factor, the lucky bastards have the best flying abilities. Their wings are the fastest, most powerful, most maneuverable, and best suited for stamina flight, all at once. The best of all worlds, so to speak. This means that, when it comes to escaping, so long as they get the chance, an Omega can’t be beaten. The structure of an Omega’s wings cannot be found on any bird in the world, since there isn’t one that has wings capable of what an Omega can do. Thus, they are termed ‘Angel Wings’. Really, that name just comes from some pompous Alpha bastard trying to suck up to a sexy piece of ass. He got rejected in the end, Omegas don’t tolerate that weak-willed stuff. You can tell who is an Omega to be as soon as wings sprout, due to the Omega-only structure that will grow. That isn’t their only advantage, however. _

_ In reality, birds use their tails in order to maximize efficiency and steering when in flight. The human lack of tail means, no matter how hard you work, when it comes to pure flying skill with no enhancements, a bird will win every single time. Hard work will certainly pay off among humans though. At least, if they aren’t an Omega. These guys get another flight bonus, cause when an Omega hits maturity, they grow a tail. A long, cord like tail the color of their wings, covered in extremely long feathers pressed flat along it, with the ones at the end slightly fluffed out, a bit like the end of a lion’s tail. Real cute. The feathers can be spread and fanned out at will, becoming less like a feathered cat tail and more like a bird’s tail feathers. Bam! Human lack of tail? Problem solved! This was also done on instinct when in flight or when feeling threatened, as an intimidation tactic, kinda like when birds puff up to try and seem bigger. When it comes to flying, not only do Omegas have the most advantageous wing structure, they also have tails to assist them. This makes their flying so far superior to all other classes, that when it came to competitions, Omegas are only allowed to compete against each other, what with the extremely unfair advantages. It makes up for their inability to fight, at least mostly. _

I blinked, staring down at the paper my Mother had said I should read. Both Mother and Mama were sitting on either side of me, while I telekinetically lifted the papers and set them back down on the table.

_ ‘Well, at least that explains what's happening.’ _

Though, all I said out loud was, “Senri-tousan wrote this, didn’t he.”

Not even deigning to answer such an obvious think, Mama dramatically flopped over onto the armrest of the couch they were on, fanning herself like a lady about to faint. “Ah, Tet-ya, I love you but you sure do keep things interesting ‘round here, eh Ka-ra?”

Mother smiled over her favorite Tessen, a silver one with a black sakura tree beautifully painted across it. “Ah, Kumori, our Tetsuya is simply magnificent. It is only natural that he so clearly display this.”

Kamui, who was leaning in the doorway at the moment, blew out a small huff of air. “Of course he’s superior to everyone else. He  _ is _ the child of  _ us _ after all.”

“Ohohoho, I suppose you make a good point. Our Tetsuya is naturally superior to all other beings, of course.” Mother was laughing like a haughty noblewoman now. Despite the comedic scene, I could feel that all my parents were very proud of me. Though, they were also feeling incredibly overprotective. I was currently one year old, and had developed my glow a year earlier than expected. Ever since I lit up around two days ago, I didn’t have any less than 3 of my parents with me at all times. Even Kunio was a bit more energetic than usual. I guess it was natural though. When one was developing their wings, they were in a very vulnerable state. With the soul showing externally, any physical damage would carry over to the soul. With my glow beginning a year earlier than usual, it was even more of a delicate state.

By this point, the glow around me had brightened to the point that it slightly stung to look right at. The brighter the glow, the more powerful the soul, and the way I was going already guaranteed I had one of the strongest souls in the world. The level I was currently at was absurd for the last day of manifestation, and it was only day two, there were still five more days before my soul hit peak level with all of it being shown externally, and one more day after that for it to hyper condense into two slits where my wings would go.

(It was only natural, considering the fact that he had lived millions more lives than every soul in this world, and his soul had been the strongest from the very beginning.)

* * *

 

The colour of Tetsuya’s aura constantly shifted between that of an ethereal white, and a sublime black, the seven colors of the rainbow streaked through it without pattern. It was quite odd, since souls were supposed to be a flat, unchanging color. Even wings that had separate tints, multiple colors, or seemed to change in different lighting would stay the same, only appearing to change. However, Ueki had examined him carefully, and said that it wasn’t a sign of any problems. Actually, it only meant that for some reason, his soul was incredibly malleable, able to change between alignments, and thus aesthetics, freely.

Everyone in the house had taken to wearing specially made sunglasses that would let you look straight at a star and not blink. It seemed extreme, but they thought it was necessary (no way could they tolerate not being able to look at Tetsuya for a few days). So, he steadily grew brighter, to the point that if he stayed in one spot too long the surroundings would catch on fire, like the way a ray of the sun’s light would catch things aflame when magnified. It was winter, luckily, since his presence heated the entire house to the point that keeping the heater on was unnecessary.

Finally,  _ finally,  _ it was day eight. All nine Alphas were lounging about Tetsuya’s bedroom, flopped on the floor, leaning against something, or draped across the furniture. Tetsuya meanwhile, was laying on the bed. He currently looked more like a star in the shape of a human than anything else, and was curled up fast asleep in a nest of pillows and blankets he had piled together. An hour passed, then two. Finally, they noticed signs of the condensation process. The glow around him was steadily fading, though the glow around his back was only growing brighter. They had thankfully planned ahead, and everything in the room was fireproof, so it didn’t instantaneously combust upon exposure to the supernova of light coming from the blue-haired child’s back.

Gradually, it thinned even further, until two streaks of lights slashed vertically down his back. They were bright enough that without the sunglasses, even barely glancing at the residue from the light would blind someone.

Another four hours, and Tetsuya abruptly blinked awake. Staring at his parents drowsily, he sat up, jewel-like eyes half-lidded and sleepy. Staring up through sky blue lashes and slightly long bangs flopping across his forehead, he yawned.

Good grief, how was that level of cuteness even possible?

Somehow, the immunity they had to Tetsuya’s pure adorability factor had lessened during the time they couldn’t really see him through the light, so several of the parents with less self control were knocked unconscious via nosebleed. Even the ever elegant Kagura could be seen wiping a small trickle from her nose, hidden behind her fan.

“Ah, so you finally woke up, Suya-tan?” Gin’s smile was even wider than usual, which also meant that he had a five foot radius clear of any life forms around him.

“Mm.”

“Talkative as ever, I see.”

“...”  _ yawn _

The bubbly domestic atmosphere was broken a few moments later by what had woken Tetsuya in the first place. Shifting uncomfortably, a frown marred his chubby cheeks, while he reached up to rub at his chest which, alongside his back, was beginning to burn in steadily increasing levels of pain. Instantly becoming serious, Ueki moved forward in order to fix things to make the upcoming event as easy as possible. Pain-dulling medication or magic for some reason had no effect on growing wings. Any attempts were instantly burned out of the body by the soul, rendering them ineffective. Thus, they only thing they could do was keep him from hurting himself.

Grabbing some cloth and bindings, Kunio followed, moving over to the boy who was most precious to him in this life. “You trust us?” Nod. “This is going to be very, very painful, and very, very uncomfortable, okay Tetsuya?” A slow, hesitant nod. “Good. We really wish we could make the pain go away, but there’s nothing we can do. So, we’ll do what we can so you don’t hurt yourself. Okay?” Another nod, slightly more nervous than before. Kunio held up the cloth. “We’ll put this in your mouth, so you don’t bite your tongue or grind your teeth from the pain.” Making slow movements, despite the fact time was running out, Kunio carefully did as he said he would, tying the cloth behind Tetsuya’s head to keep it from falling out of his mouth.

“Now, we have to tie your hands and feet, okay? If we don’t, you’ll thrash around, and get hurt, possibly badly. Is that okay, Tetsuya?” He hesitated several seconds this time, but understanding it was necessary, finally nodded. His hands and feet were carefully tied down, as comfortably as they could make it without running the risk of them giving out, though with his one-year old strength, it should be okay. Carefully backing away, the nine struggled to keep themselves under control. Their instincts hadn’t been this overwhelming since they rescued Tetsuya.

With no warning whatsoever, the glowing slits along the pale boy’s back split open, the scent of blood, pain and fear smothering them under a haze of protective fury. Senri lurched forward, snarling when Gin snagged his shoulder to keep him still. Turning to make his displeasure known, the Alpha was cowed upon seeing the pitch black abyss that was the silver-haired man’s eyes open and glaring at everything and nothing. The ever-present smile was nowhere to be seen, lips drawn back to expose pearly teeth that despite being human, somehow were as threatening as any knife-toothed predators could be. 

Regaining control, Senri backed down, turning again to his son, who had tears pearling up and dribbling from his eyes. Tetsuya attempted to maintain some semblance of control, but failed rather miserably, the pain surpassing even that which his slightly mature mind could handle. The glow that was still burning around the slits wavered and convulsed, stilling for a quick second, before bursting outwards. Massive illusory wings, each larger than twice the size of Tetsuya’s body, spread and flared out. Even in the transparent form meant as an outline by his soul for his body to follow, they were beautiful. Stunning enough to shock the parental Alphas out of their rage for a few seconds, staring at the wings that burst from his back and reached for the sky.

They were Angel Wings. The symbol of an Omega. An Omega born from nine of the most powerful Alphas.

Dear God, they would have to beat the suitors off with a stick.

An iron one.

With spikes.

Eradication sounds good.

Though how would they get ahold of lasers...

Omegas were closest to their instincts, and closest to the animals their wings resembled. As a general rule, along with exceptional flight capabilities, they also had incredible night vision, better still day vision, and hearing good enough to catch the sound of a mouse scurrying a mile underground. If it wasn’t for the Omegan instincts being devoted to caring for others, rather than ruling, fighting, or leading, they could literally do whatever they want, with no one capable of stopping them. However, as close to their instincts as they were, it also meant they couldn’t really go against them without extensive effort. Even then it was exhausting.

Their increasingly wandering thoughts about what life for their son would be like, were dragged back down to earth like a ten ton weight against gravity, at the sound of a muffled scream. He had gotten to the stage where the physical wings started growing, now that his muscles had arranged themselves to properly support the wings. Bloody bone began forming out of his shoulder blades and spine, arranging and connecting for flight structure. Pushing through quickly, and agonizingly slowly all at once, the red-dyed structure stuck out like a demented tree, rapidly growing larger as they watched. The bone extended and broke into the appropriate segments for wings, the sick crunching accompanied by thrashing and cloth-stifled screams of pain. Finally, the skeletal structure properly took the required form, and Tetsuya got a brief,  _ precious _ second of relief.

Then it continued.

Now that the frame was finished, the muscle twisted out and over the skeletal guide, moving rapidly and accompanied by tissue as it formed his wings. Nerves were seconds behind it, ultra-sensitive bundles threading through the newly built system. Wings were the most sensitive appendages on the body, both to pain and pleasure, and Omega wings were the worst off here. It didn’t matter how good a flier one was, if the wings were the slightest bit damaged, so much as a twitch would be met with agony until they healed.

Finally, the basic structure was completed, and the last painful step was about to finish. The bloodied appendages crumpled weakly for a moment, before abruptly snapping back out to full extension. Colorless edges poked out of the flesh, and within seconds, bone and muscle was covered in silky transparent feathers. His manifested soul outlining the newly completed flesh lit up brilliantly enough that for a few seconds, no one could see a thing, and by the time they regained their sight, the infusion process was complete. Feathers were given color.

For a brief moment, that felt far longer than it was, Kuroko Tetsuya’s newly made wings extended outwards and up. A white pure and beautiful enough that Kagura unconsciously pulled her own wings in slightly, subconsciously embarrassed in comparison. The primary feathers extending from the bottom of his wings were different than the rest. They cycled through the seven colors of the rainbow, the first was red, the second orange, third yellow, then green, blue, indigo, purple, and back again. It was a glorious display of the seven colors, and despite all of their wings being considered incredibly beautiful, before their son’s they couldn’t help feeling a bit inadequate. However, such jealous feelings were rapidly drowned out by the tide of love and adoration they felt towards him. Light shone in through the window, and for a moment, as the child was outlined in a soft glow, it was as though time froze and an angel descended.

Then, as his muscles finally relaxed from the beautiful lack of pain, Tetsuya’s wings collapsed beside him, crumpling in a slightly uncomfortable manner, though he was far beyond the point where he would be capable of moving them. Unconsciousness descended upon him in a blissful haze, and his parents were left with his sleeping body.

Somehow, it seemed like his adorability factor had multiplied exponentially with the addition of wings.

Surprisingly, Kamui was the first to snap out of their frozen state. The Tsundere made his way over to the sleeping bluenet, and cautiously inched close. Finally, he was crouched beside his son, and could get a good look at his wings. Reaching out tentatively he ran a finger over the red primary feather, and the wings shivered in response. A bit more confident, he quickly took note of the fact that Tetsuya’s wings were in a less than comfortable position. He delicately arranged them in a considerably more relaxed one. After all, his precious son would be in enough pain without the addition of wing cramps, not like he cared that much. It was just the decent thing to do, that’s all.

Carefully, he groomed and preened the new appendages, enjoying the feeling of the feathers, which were easily the softest he had ever touched. He ended up shoved out of the way for one of the other parents, though it's not like he minded not getting to bond with his son more.

(Yeah, he was totally jealous.)

* * *

 

A tiny head of blue hair popped out and cautiously glanced around. He had to make sure no one saw him, so he couldn’t spare any cautionary actions. For the last two weeks, he hadn’t gotten a single moment alone. He loved his family. He did! He adored them to an unhealthy degree, as a matter of fact. However, he was very much a child, despite his adult-level intellect. The idea of sneaking out and going outside was simply too tantalizing to resist, you see.

It totally had nothing to do with it being mother's day, and him wanting to do something as a surprise, which wouldn’t happen with them following him around all the time.

His massive wings were out and folded against his back. Their basic shape wasn’t found on any bird, as befitting an Omega-to-be. They spread from his back at a mostly horizontal angle, though with a slight curve upwards. At the peak of this curl, the wings formed an slightly-over-ninety degree angle, where they swept downwards in a graceful arch. This part was at least three times longer than the former, which was closest to his back. The feathers directly next to his back were triple the length of the others, pointing down, while the rule for the rest was the farther they were from his back, the longer they were. The wings as a whole were incredibly long, but not very wide. Though, near the ends, the longer feathers made them appear much wider.

Since he wasn’t really used to them, he stumbled occasionally (though considering his age he shouldn’t even have been walking), but for the most part he moved fairly smoothly (for his age). This was mainly because he was supporting himself with telekinesis whenever he needed it. Finally, he managed to get outside. He scrambled over to the tallest tree in the yard, doing his best to replicate what he had seen in the spy movies he watched with his family. He couldn’t really use his low presence when his wings were out, they were simply far too eye-catching. He thought that he should try and figure out a way to use it even with them, because if he could use it even then, imagine how effective it would be when they were hidden! He giggled at the thought, before quieting himself.

Standing at the base of the tree, he stared at it as intensely as he could. He remembered, the other day he made a flower grow just by wanting it to, and since a tree was also a plant, this would definitely work. After 3 minutes of just trying to will the tree to do something, he wasn’t even close to giving up. Out of all his genius qualities, his best one was probably his determination. Instead of becoming frustrated, he only wanted to work things out more.

Finally, after several more minutes, it did what he wanted. A small group of leaves turned white. A wide grin made its way onto his face and refused to leave, as he continued his self-assigned mission. The tree twisted and changed, the bark turning black and the leaves turning white, as he manipulated it into the desired form. Finished, he grinned up at his creation. Completely unaware of the chaos created by his little disappearing act.

“ _ You _ .” Kumori’s playful and flirty demeanor was nowhere to be seen as she cornered the nearest hapless cleaning lady. “My son. Where is he.” The worlds were low and harsh, the undertone of a snarl rumbling deep in the Alpha’s chest. The poor beta cowered in response to the angry, dominant pheromones layering the house, thanks to the nine who were currently on a rampage. Luckily there wasn’t any physical lashing out yet, but if there were no leads soon, something would likely end up destroyed.

“Tch.” Turning on her heel, Kumori stalked away, leaving the poor victim behind her to scramble off. As she passed a corner, a sweet scent caused her to freeze. It was one she recognized, a scent that was easily her favorite. The smell of vanilla, snow, and a hint of cinnamon had her snapping to attention, senses honing in. There was no fear smell, so he was either unconscious or safe. A light tug on the bond she shared with her son answered that.

Tracking the scent to Tetsuya’s location, she spotted him and stepped into the nearest shadow, stepping out of the one belonging to the tree he was standing by. After giving them the information of Tetsuya’s location, she ignored the other eight Alphas, who were now moving towards them using a variety of methods, as Kagura appeared beside her using teleportation.

“Tetsuya! What did you think you were doing, exactly?” Unintentionally, her voice came out as a low snarl, but her animal side was furious that a youngling had slipped out of their sight.  _ (He could have been hurt, or a rival-flock could have tried taking him-) _ The only answer they received was a tilt of his head and feelings of confusion. “You had the entire house worried about you. Everyone was on a warpath thanks to you slipping away.” The snarl lining her tone caused him to whine in the back of his throat, ducking his head in submission.

“Now, please explain why, exactly, you disappeared like that.” Her voice was slightly less angry, but still upset. Still looking at the ground, Tetsuya struggled to hold in his tears at the scolding while he answered telepathically.

_ “I-I didn’t think it would make you guys upset! I wanted to do something for mother’s day, to make you happy, I didn’t want to make you sad!” _ At this point, he couldn’t hold it in any longer, and burst out into low, wailing sobs. He could sense their emotions, and now that he was looking, knew they were worried, not angry, but he wasn’t upset over that. Finding out that what he did to try and make them happy only had the opposite effect was simply too much for his incredibly young maturity level to handle. No matter how smart, he was still only a little over 1 year old.

Meanwhile, the others had arrived, and all of them were completely focused on their son, so they didn’t notice anything else. They were also freaking out, a lot. Tetsuya had never cried before. If he wanted or needed something, he would just ask them telepathically. He tried to be tough, and refused to cry when he was sad or hurt, trying to make his parents proud. Thus, when he burst into tears, they were totally at a loss as to what they should do. They had all forgotten just how young he was, due to his intelligence and maturity.

Hayashi frantically picked him up, cradling him gently in his arms, and rushed back to the house as quickly as he could without hurting Tetsuya. Coming to an abrupt halt in the middle of the entryway, he inhaled deeply before yelling loudly enough for the whole house to hear (while covering Tetsuya’s ears so they wouldn’t be damaged).

“Tetsuya is crying! What do I do?!?!”

Somehow, one of the older women heard him. Appearing out of nowhere from around a corner, she had snatched Tetsuya from his arms before he realized what was happening. When he started to snarl at her in response, he was shot  _ the look _ , you know, that one only women can give? Instantly, his jaw snapped shut, glare becoming more of a pout as he huffed and turned away (still keeping Tetsuya in the corner of his sight).

“Ah, Tetsu-chan, come tell Auntie what’s wrong, mm?” Gently kneeling down with the bluenet still cradled in her arms, she gently wiped away his tears with her thumbs, before pulling out a tissue for him to wipe his nose with. After this was done, he stared up at her with sad, watery eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.

_ ‘My nephew is going to be a heartbreaker when he gets older! Rather, he’s a heartbreaker now!’ _

“I wanted to make,”  _ sniffle _ “Mother and Mama happy, but, but,” a tiny sob, “I only made them sad instead!” Before he could start wailing again, he found himself wrapped in a familiar pair of arms, with skin as pale as his own.

“Tet-ya, we were only worried. If something happened to you, we would be so sad we could fill a bath with our tears.” He tensed at this, so she hurried to get to the point before she made him more upset. “Listen, we know you just wanted to do something to make us happy, okay? It makes us happy to know how much you love us. Very, very happy. Now that you know how much we worry about you, you know not to wander off without saying anything, right? Life is all about making mistakes, and learning from them. We can appreciate the good things because we’ve experienced bad things. Light needs darkness to shine, and darkness needs light to exist.” By the end, she was rambling, but looking at him, he seemed satisfied.

(She had no clue as to how much her words would affect him in the future.)

“Now, why don’t you show us what you were doing, hm?” The smile he flashed was a balm to her soul. Slipping out of her arms, he grabbed one of her hands, tugging her back towards the door, glancing back to make sure she was there every few seconds. The rest of the family curiously trailed after them, shooting the occasional jealous glance at their linked hands. Finally, he pulled her outside.

“What’s out here, Tet-ya?”

“Right there.” He gestured to the center of the yard, at the tree he’d been standing under when they found him. Curious, Kagura turned to look, along with the rest who had followed behind them, and at once, they turned to stone from the shock.

The previously average tree now had pitch black bark and pure white leaves. It was twisted into a shape resembling a standing human, with the vines growing on it resembling clothes. All the branches with leaves were concentrated on two spots, on the ‘back’ of the tree, and looked like a massive pair of white wings were sprouting from it.

“H-how…?”

“It was very tiring. I’m glad it made you happy, though.” Turning to look at him, she now noticed that he seemed slightly paler than usual, which was a feat considering his normal skin tone, and his wings were drooping slightly. This was slightly worrying, but still a feeling of joy welled up in the two women it was intended for, they couldn’t help feeling happy that he would do this for them.

Who wouldn’t feel overjoyed at someone like Tetsuya spending so much effort just to make them happy?

(Struggling to drag out every drop of that little spark of power that was humming in his soul, feeling his exhaustion increase more every second  _ but he wasn’t finished yet it had to be perfect- _ )

Then, he turned to the other seven parents. “This is for you guys too. Since it’s for the whole house, it's a present for everyone.”

“Ah, thanks Suya-tan~”

“It’s not as though I like it, but I’ll accept.”

“It’s nice, Tet.”

“Tetsuya, you’ll drink tea with me underneath it.”

“Ha~, looks like a good place to take a nap.”

“”Thanks a lot, Tetsu!””

The child beamed at them in excitement, since he could feel the good emotions everyone gave off at seeing it. Seeing him so happy, an arrow immediately pierced their hearts.

A true family with a severe son-complex. Suitors beware.

* * *

 

_ Tetsuya, 4 years old _

“Suya-tan~, come ‘ere. I’ve got something important to tell you.”

“Hai.”

“Ah, why’ve you become so serious, my little Suya-tan, you used to smile all the time~.”

“Mm.”

“Haa… You used to get flustered so easily, too.” Gin grinned at the simple raised eyebrow he got in response. Tetsuya didn’t speak very much, but instead, could convey everything he needed in gestures. If he thought something needed to be said, he would say it. For some reason, he developed an extremely blunt and straightforward personality, likely to counterbalance how eccentric his parents were. Though, Gin was proud to say they both shared a strong vanilla addiction, with milkshakes at the top of the list.

He truly taught his son well.

(And really, Suya-tan was just as eccentric, just in his own way.)

Anyway, the current message he was getting was,  _ get on with it already _ .

“Alright, alright. Don’t be so pushy, Suya-tan~. For some reason a family friend of Kamui is going to be leaving his son with us for a few years. It’s the Akashi family.” A slow blink, then expectant stare, so recognition, but he wants more information. “Ah, you’re so demanding these days. Could it be teenage rebellion? Though, aren’t you a bit young for that…”

_ Stare. _

“Fine, fine. The Akashi family has a close business relation with the Akatori family. Kamui’s generation had a decent personal relation as well, though they grew apart over the years. They still trust each other, though, which is why the Akashi heir is going to be staying with us for a while.”

Suya-tan nodded in affirmation (so cute~) before eyeing his dad up for a few seconds.

“Vanilla milkshake?”

The silver-haired man smirked at his son. “Of course, Suya-tan. How could I say no to you?”

A blank expression was his only answer. “You just want a milkshake.”

“Ah~, my cute son doesn’t trust me! That hurts me, you know.”

All he got was a small huff of air in response. The adult laughed again, abruptly changing pace and sweeping the bluenet into his arms. Moving considerably quicker with his long limbs, he looked down to be met with an adorable pout. “You know, Suya-tan, you could at least make it easier on us by not doing things that will only attract more suitors to get rid of.” The look he got this time was considerably more confused, but he simply waved it off. “Yeah, it’s impossible, huh.”

_ ‘That’s fine though. If they aren’t worthy, we’ll just kill them. It’s not like anyone would dare to defy us anyways.’ _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Ah, a character development chapter, and still no basketball in sight. Though, Tetsuya does have some cool plant powers. That's pretty good, eh, eh?  
> It will be elaborated on later, but Tetsuya essentially has two sets of abilities, and only one set can be equipped at a time. His current set has a very powerful affinity with life, healing, regeneration, and psychic abilities, with no offensive of defensive ones (unless the plants were used creatively, but his instincts won’t really allow for offense). All I’ll tell you of the other set, is that it has incredible offensive and defensive abilities. More will be explained in-story, so patience.  
> Also, the parents may be softies when it comes to Tetsuya, but that doesn’t change the fact that they didn’t get to be powerful Alphas at such a young age by being nice.
> 
> My soul carries me to the stars, on angel's wings.


	3. Chapter 3 - I'll Take You With Me

Disclaimer - I own nothing but the plot and OC’s of this story.

**Same warnings as before. However. When you reach** **_Seijuro Akashi, 7 years old, the whole scene in Italics is, kind of dark. It’s like, emotional and physical abuse. So, trigger warnings._ **

**_ALSO, their relationship is not healthy. At all, It is as loving as a child can get, and will develop into full on love when they are older, however, it is very dependent. If something were to happen to any of them, the other would likely go insane. This is an obsessive, possessive relationship, and most of the relationships will be like that. However, this is absolutely not something you should aim for in real life, actually, this is the kind of relationship that you should try and get out of. Possessiveness has been greatly romanticized, and while I do enjoy writing and reading it, I feel I need to say that it is not a realistically healthy relationship, of any kind._ **

* * *

 

I found myself in a new situation. This was not particularly odd, since I was quite young, and also rather sheltered, so such things weren’t uncommon in the least. It was still new though. I was staring at a pale boy, slightly taller than myself, who had crimson hair and ruby red eyes with narrow pupils. Red-kid’s bangs were long, past his eyes, and his hair was slightly messy. Currently, he was giving me an assessing look, like the one I was giving him.

“Mm.”

His expression changed, becoming one that was closer to curiosity, with a hint of interest. Akatori-tou-san was talking with Akashi-san, leaving us free to interact. It took me another moment to realize he did not yet know me well enough to understand my subtle cues, though my instincts said he was the type to catch on quickly.

He had good eyes, you see.

Akashi felt interested in the boy before him. He was small and fragile looking, with skin paler than his own and hair like a piece of the sky decided to descend just to color it. He couldn’t really see his face, though the boy had slightly long hair, and bangs similar to Akashi’s own. His voice too, was quite attractive, though he seemed averse to using it frequently. Not only that, but as the only other child in this household, and one of good intelligence too, this boy was the one he would spend the most time with.

He had decided, so it was true.

It was also the first time he met someone like this. His presence was low to the point that if not for his excellent vision, and the fact he was specifically looking around, he would have missed him. Someone who could potentially escape his eyes was fascinating. There was also the fragile air about him. Akashi lived surrounded by powerful Betas and Alphas, the type who protected you, and had a powerful, confident feel about them. This boy was the type you wanted to protect, even without the Alpha instincts such feelings were usually caused by.

The type you wanted to tie up and hide away, let no one else lay eyes upon him.

What an interesting feeling.

The boy suddenly spoke again, and his voice, despite being monotone, was frankly entrancing. Even as a Akashi, he was a child with a low attention span. However, the bluenet had a voice that was like a steel blade draped in vanilla-dipped silk. Sweet, soft, tantalizingly beautiful, with unbreakable metal just waiting to be unleashed upon any who dare try disturbing it.

“Would you accompany me to the kitchen, Akashi-san.”

Giving no hint as to his inner thoughts, Akashi gave an elegant nod. He noticed something else, then. The boy was not freely showing his wings. Akashi wondered if he was like himself.

A defective product.

He then remembered something, abruptly coming to a stop as the thought came to him. The blue-haired child immediately stopped as well, turning to look at him questioningly.

“We have not yet made introductions.”

A thoughtful blink. Akashi had quickly realized this boy preferred conveying his thoughts through actions, not words. He then received a small nod of affirmation. Akashi gave a pleased hum, before introducing himself.

“Akashi Seijuro. I am willing to allow you to call me in a familiar manner.” Best to build a familiar rapport now. People were more likely to follow those whom they respected and trusted. He felt this boy could be a useful asset in the future.

“I am Kuroko Tetsuya. Call me whatever you so desire, Akashi-kun.”

“Kuroko, then. Now, let us continue to the kitchen.”

“Hai, Akashi-kun.” Good. He was quickly falling into a subservient mindset. At the same time though, Akashi knew from his lessons on people that if pressed, this fragile-looking child would not stand by idly. This was important, since Akashi knew how useful it was to have someone who was capable of offering a second opinion, even against someone of higher station. His father too, had someone who, while a subordinate of his, would still speak up without hesitation if he believed it necessary. Such a person would be excellent to have by his side.

Upon arriving to the kitchen, Kuroko led Akashi to a seat, before moving to peruse the selections. Akashi watched him curiously, since it was quite obvious the counters were out of reach. However, the confidence Kuroko had pointed to him knowing what he was doing, so Akashi simply waited.

He was not disappointed.

With nothing more than a casual glance, two vanilla milkshakes and a pack of graham crackers found their way to the table Akashi was seated at. The red-head arched an eyebrow, impressed that someone was able to use telekinesis so skillfully at the age of four. As Kuroko made his way over and sat beside him, he stiffened upon feeling his other self begin to stir.

_ ‘Why are you waking up, Bokushi? You are not needed here.’ _

_ ‘Oreshi, do I need a reason to exist?’  _ The sardonic, taunting tone slid through his mind like an especially unpleasant snake, and Akashi immediately worked on shoving the other back into a corner of his mind.

“It is not good to deny part of yourself, Akashi-kun.” The monotone voice from beside him was slightly shocking, though he didn’t visibly react beyond blinking. However, this defiance would not be tolerated since they had not yet established who was in charge here. Only when the other acknowledged that he would have final say, would Akashi accept any form of contrariness.

“Tetsuya. I do not think you have any right to speak like that.”

He got a disappointed look in return, and suddenly felt as though he had done something he shouldn’t have.

“How disappointing. I thought Akashi-kun was intelligent.” The fragile boy then proceeded to stand up and leave the room, taking his milkshake with him. Akashi was far too busy being frozen in shock to follow (he was still young, and hadn’t yet developed his iron will his future self would have.)

Bokushi was silent, despite still being awake, which he found rather suspicious, but was something for a later time.

Eventually, he regained enough of a sense of self to finish the snack Kuroko provided for him, before standing. He was interested in what Kuroko had to say, and also wanted to establish that he would not tolerate being insulted so casually. No matter how interesting he was, an Akashi such as himself did not tolerate defiance.

(Also, he had given no outside signs of his internal conflict, so how did the other boy notice? He had shown a psychic prowess already, which might have something to do with this. Such a thing could be a useful tool.)

After a bit of searching, he stumbled across one of the servants, and with a few questions, knew where he would most likely find who he was searching for. Reaching the library, he didn’t hesitate before opening the door.

The one he was looking for was sitting in seiza position on the floor, a shogi board lay before him, while stunning blue eyes looked directly at his own red ones. As though Kuroko was expecting his arrival. Without pause, Akashi made his way over and took up a position on the other side of the board.

Not a word was spoken as they began to play.

Only a short while later, Akashi sat, feeling quite shocked. An Akashi did not lose, thus an Akashi was always right. It was a simple truth, ground into him since he could comprehend words. Yet, he had lost. It was true he had started shogi only a few weeks ago, however, he was a prodigy who advanced so quickly he already was defeating his teachers. Yet, this boy defeated him almost  _ casually _ .

“Do you still believe you have the right to be so arrogant?”

Akashi did not respond, simply listening. The only one who had the right to claim something was true, was the winner after all. The loser thus must accept the winner’s decision. The winners write history, while the losers are erased from it.

“You are a genius and a prodigy. This is a fact. However, to believe that you are right in all things, is disappointingly naive. It is true that the victors write history, and that the losers are erased from it. However, there are some thing that remain constant facts no matter who holds the pen. People breathe oxygen. Fire burns. Water soothes. Darkness cannot exist without light. Light cannot exist without darkness. You know these things, do you not?”

“Of course.” Akashi could not tell where this was going.

“Then you know that no matter who wins or loses, these things will remain true. Do not presume to always be right, simply because you win. Should you say that light can exist without darkness that will not be true, no matter how many times you win. Losing cannot exist without winning, and vice versa. To appreciate good, you must experience bad. If you always win, there is no reason to improve, correct? Thus, now that you have lost, improve until you win. It is that simple. However, no matter how good you are, there is always the chance of loss. There was a chance you could have beaten me just now. A low chance, but still an existing one. You should be grateful for this fact. Victory can only be considered a shallow concept when it is a guarantee. Only when you struggle and claw your way up, uncertain of the outcome all the while, throwing everything you have into something you love, will it be considered true victory.”

Kuroko’s words made sense. They rang truer than all the spiels his father had proclaimed, of how winning should be natural to him as an Akashi. Of how it should be a guarantee.

Suddenly, all the times he had won seemed so much better, now that he knew what it was to lose. Experiencing the pain of loss, he felt, appreciative, of the warmth that came from winning. Not only that, but he felt respect for Kuroko. The one who showed him what it meant to win. Of course, despite these revelations, he still far preferred to win. He would simply have to follow Kuroko’s advice and improve for the sake of winning in the future.

(Not to mention the fact that he had now decided the other would be his. Someone like this should not belong to anyone else. Only he, Akashi Seijurou, was deserving of such a person. He would simply have to improve himself until he could establish a victory, and thus dominance, over the other. Having someone already so strong-willed and capable at the age of four, would be a great boon. He deserved only the best, and Kuroko Tetsuya was the best. Also. someone who could challenge him to get better [who could challenge him at all] was necessary to his development [to his enjoyment].)

“I cannot tell you whether this other part you have is something good, or bad, or both, or neither. I can however, say that both of you are simply each a half of one soul. You are the same, but different. He is a part of you, just as you are a part of him. To deny any part of yourself, whether gentle or vicious, is not something that should be done.” It was odd, how he kept missing the other boy’s presence. It was also odd how the other had managed to come over and sit right beside him without his notice.

Bokushi was still very quiet within him. It was a bit eerie. Usually, the other would be cooly making comments about their superiority, yet he was hardly stirring. Simply listening. Also, the ghost-like boy was capable of viewing souls without having to see the other person’s wings. Interesting.

“Your soul is very beautiful. It is divided into two halves, one a beautiful red. I assume that would be yours. The other is a gold-orange that reminds me of royalty, strength, and cunning. I would say that is the part that makes up your other half. Both parts are stunning, and complement each other well. I think that, while you might not get along all the time, you should still attempt to maintain a familiar relationship. Perhaps approach it like you would when getting to know a new person. Except, you cannot hide things from one another.” His blue eyes held a serious look. “I think that would make a rather good foundation for trust.”

Without warning Oreshi felt himself be pushed to the back, while Bokushi moved forward to take his place. For a split second, he moved to subdue the other, before stopping. He thought about what Kuroko had said, and decided to make an attempt. For some reason, he had the urge to seriously take into account anything the other did. Also, he had already helped when it came to winning, so why not with this issue as well. Though, if Bokushi attempted to harm Kuroko, he would naturally remove him.

One eye became golden-orange, showing the change of ‘driver’, so to speak. However, before the new arrival could speak, the phantom-like child spoke up again.

“I see, so you are his other half.” A cold, pale hand was cupping his face, he noted absently, while staring into blue,  _ blue _ eyes that were suddenly much closer than before. “You both have eyes that are quite beautiful.” Akashi blushed slightly.

_ Akashi blushed slightly. _

_ ( _ Kuroko was truly lucky to have been able to meet the other at such a young, influenceable age. There was also his desperation for human affection, which contributed quite a bit to Akashi’s willingness to listen to him. It was good he had gotten to the other before his mentality could be set in stone.)

Both sides of him felt embarrassed yet strangely happy at the phantom’s words.

“I hope that the three of us can get along. Though, how can I differentiate between you two?”

“You may refer to me as Bokushi, Tetsuya. My other half goes by Oreshi.”

“Hai, Bokushi-kun. Despite being separate, the two of you are fundamentally a single soul. When I am addressing both of you, I will use Akashi.” They could understand this. Their base nature was indeed the same. It was simply that Bokushi had a far more anti-social, domineering, and temperamental personality. Both shared the determination to rule over others, however, and a winner’s mentality. Bokushi simply thought this could be achieved solely by oneself, while Oreshi thought it was a group effort. It takes a village to raise a child, so to speak.

“Tetsuya, tell me why you were so persistent in making us get along. It does not affect you in any way, so I see no reason behind your actions. Though, do not take it as ungratefulness.”

“Someone who has a soul as beautiful as yours, cannot be a bad person. You can never be truly happy when you deny a part of yourself, and I believe the two of you should be happy. It is only natural that I try and assist you, is it not?”

“Hm. I suppose that, put that way, it is.” He was blushing again, he could feel it. However, the other was clearly done with the conversation, judging by the tired aura drifting off the smaller boy.

“Excuse me, I will be going to sleep now. I have, by far, spoken more in the last few minutes than I have in the last week, and it is quite exhausting.” With those words, he proceeded to make himself comfortable, and fall asleep almost instantly. Of course, making himself comfortable apparently meant lying down on the other four year old’s lap.

_ ‘Oreshi.’ _

_ ‘Hai.’ _

_ ‘I believe that the two of us have developed a crush, of sorts.’ _

_ ‘Yes. That does seem to be true.’ _

_ ‘I cannot find it in myself to mind.” _

_ ‘Neither can I.’ _

_ ‘We will speak later.’ _

_ ‘I agree.’ _

It’s not as though it would change much either way. Even without this crush, Tetsuya would be a valuable asset, both for his unique perspective and excellent capabilities. Even without taking the emotional side of things into account, having Tetsuya as his mate would be an excellent move.

The red-haired boy then proceeded to make himself comfortable, being careful not to disturb the other, and follow the phantom’s example. They would be found a few hours later by Senri, who twitched slightly in irritation at the fact that the red-haired brat hadn’t been there a day and was already stealing Tetsuya’s attention.

* * *

 

Akashi had been there a few weeks, and had developed three different kinds of relationships.

One, a competitive, slightly brotherly relationship with his other self (if brothers shared thought processes). The two were extremely similar to each other, naturally, but they also had different ways of thinking.

Two, a very close friendship with Kuroko, in which the personalities would take turns attempting to impress their crush, while simultaneously improving in order to beat the other. A friendly rivalry, of sorts. 

Finally, an intense competitive relationship with the rest of the household. Everyone in the house competed over one main thing: the right to spend time with Kuroko. This was decided through offering Kuroko an appealing option. He would then decide whether or not to spend time with whoever offered. Though, even without that, whenever someone was upset, or simply had gone a while without enjoying time with Kuroko, the sky-haired boy would seek them out himself.

At the moment, Akashi was rather proud of the fact that Kuroko spent most of his time with him. He would often shoot taunting smirks at anyone who glared at him when Kuroko was with him. He may not believe that winning is everything, but he  _ did _ still believe that winning was a very big something. As far as he was concerned, winning Kuroko’s attention was the most important competition he had ever been in. Luckily, Kuroko seemed quite attached to him.

Things had gotten to the point where the other would frequently find some way to lay against or on Akashi whenever he could. Kuroko had a fairly extreme liking for some form of affectionate contact, and would grow morose without any. The bluenet also trusted Akashi more and more as time went by, even forming a weak soul bond between the two so they would be able to reach each other no matter how far apart they were. When the bluenet was interacting with one personality, whichever wasn’t in control at the time would speak through their bond. It had rapidly strengthened over time, until it got to the point that breaking it was impossible. Should the other feel extreme emotion, the other would know, the closer they were together, the more easily they could sense each other’s state. The only way to avoid each other at this point, was if one of them chose to close off the bond for some reason.

Kuroko had even promised Akashi something, while he was expressing his thoughts(worry) about ending up closed off from the other over a small fight. Kuroko Tetsuya had sworn on his soul, that he would never close off the bond unless he was incapable of keeping it open, or it would hurt Akashi in some way. This oath made him literally incapable of disobeying it, thus putting the other’s fears to rest. In turn, Akashi swore the same thing, as he wasn’t so low as to make someone promise such a thing without doing the same in return.

Finally, a couple months into knowing each other, Kuroko asked if he would like to see his wings.

“Of course, Tetsuya. Admittedly, I am curious as to why you have not shown them before now.”

“The one other time someone outside my family saw my wings, they acted strangely, and it gave me a bad feeling. I guess, my wings are so ugly that even just looking at them disgusts people. I assume my parents simply care for me so much that it doesn’t matter.”

Akashi was certain that wasn’t true, since Kuroko was one of the most incredible people in existence, but he had discovered that the other had an extremely low self-worth for no discernable reason. Kuroko even cared for himself not for his own sake, but because others would be unhappy if something happened to him. It was an altruistic mindset that bordered on masochistic. No matter what Akashi said, he couldn’t dispel this strange perception of Kuroko’s, so instead he did his best to offer the other praise whenever he could.

“But, I trust you. I know that my wings won’t matter to you, so I’d be happy to show them to you.” The warm feeling he got at hearing that was something he would happily feel again. The paler child tugged off his shirt, to reveal a considerably tighter one underneath, with two slits cut into the back. A brief pause, and his muscles tensed. With no further warning, two wings that were huge in comparison to the children, at least four times as long as the were tall, burst from Kuroko’s back, spreading outwards in a magnificent display.

Looking at them, how Kuroko thought they could be ugly was frankly incomprehensible. Angelic wings with feathers of purest white and primaries like rainbow colored gemstones spread from his shoulder blades. Stunning enough that even someone like Akashi was shocked into silence by their beauty. It was obvious as to why people acted strangely when such wings were revealed. Even on a four-year old, such an appearance belied incredible strength and beauty of soul. Luckily, even in shock, Akashi kept his wits about him.

“Tetsuya, I believe your wings are the most beautiful in the Earth. You should take pride in them.” In response to this, he received one of Kuroko’s incredibly rare smiles, that could make flowers bloom and the sun shine brighter when they appeared. Combined with the wings on his back, it was as though an Angel had descended to grace the earth with its mere existence.

“Thank you, Akashi-kun. Hearing that makes me, happy.”

“Of course, Tetsuya. Making you happy is something I enjoy.” For the first time, Akashi got to witness Kuroko Tetsuya blushing.

He would rather like to see it again.

Later on, Akashi found out that Kuroko’s parents could apparently sense whenever Kuroko did something adorable, because their glares were far more intense than usual. Kuroko didn’t even notice.

(Later on, when Akashi showed Kuroko his wing, his so very beautiful, ruby and blood and fire,  _ single wing _ , he had looked away in humiliation. Kuroko has simply come over and wrapped him in an embrace, wings out and cocooning them in a feathery haven. When Akashi had stated his humiliation at being  _ defective _ , a one-winged bird who would never reach the sky, Kuroko had hushed him, and said words that would forever sing in his mind, even when they no longer applied [even when he could no longer remember].

“If Seijuuro-kun can not fly on his own, then it will be my soul that carries you to the stars. I think your wing is beautiful, and just as perfect as the rest of you.”

Those words would save him.)

* * *

 

_ Kuroko Tetsuya, 5 years old _

For the past few hours, Akashi had been  _ angry _ . It was a quiet anger, the terrifying kind that boiled just below the surface. Kuroko was in pain, and feverish, and he wasn’t allowed to see him. He was snarling and snapping at anyone who so much as entered his sight, and a poor, victimized wall displayed the extent of his fury with a large hole ripped through it.

Kuroko, his most(his  _ only _ ) precious person, was suffering, and there wasn’t a single thing he could do about it. He knew why, of course, it had been explained to him. Kuroko had reached his maturity, and thus was in the process of awakening. His body was changing to accommodate the shifts, new hormones, pheromones, and even body structure. His Kuroko was awakening as an Omega, the precious, precious gems of the world. Precious, and desired. Countless people would doubtless vye for the others attention, an Omega as magnificent and powerful as Kuroko would be so desired that if he wanted to remain by the other’s side, he would need to be strong enough to stand above the rest.

He did not mind if there were others. It would be impossible for there not to be, the way Kuroko was. What he did mind, was if someone attempted to push him away from his place by Kuroko’s side. It didn’t matter if he had one wing, both sides of him agreed. He would be strong enough that something like that wouldn’t matter. Kuroko would be the wings he needed, and Akashi would eradicate any who came between them.

At that moment, with the pure focused determination filling his mind, a shift occurred within him.

You see, they had figured out why Akashi only had one wing. It was incredibly simple. The soul determined the physical appearance. Wings sprouted because the physical manifestation of the soul made it so. Only half of Akashi’s soul had sprouted. The part of him that was Oreshi, would be either a Beta, or an Alpha. However, the other half of his soul, Bokushi, the part that should have formed his second wing, was different.

Bokushi was an Outlier.

Outlier’s did not have wings.

They would live with their soul contained within their bodies. This meant absurd physical abilities. This also meant the soul could not burst out to form a wing. For an entirely unknown reason, this gene randomly showed up in Alpha families on occasion (Outliers were closest to Alphas, after all), and somehow, Akashi had been born with half of his soul that of an Outlier.

The two had decided something. Bokushi would be one of the incredibly rare few. Those who managed to control their instincts to destroy Omegas. Those whose soul underwent a change, that made them turn into Alphas, and grow wings. They would control their instincts, become an Alpha, and stay by Kuroko’s side.

It was far simpler to say than to do.

But they would do it all the same.

This entire time, while he waited, Akashi had clung onto the bond that tied the three of them to each other. He had placed his entire focus on monitoring Kuroko, knew every change as it happened. Thus, when the process finally ended, and Kuroko fell unconscious, he sensed it immediately. Then, he was at the door, and seconds later when it was opened and he was let in, he made good use of his five year old stature to move past as quickly as possible. As they walked, Bokushi took control, and they finally reached their destination.

Finally reaching his Tetsuya.

As quickly as he could, Akashi made his way over and climbed up on the bed beside the phantom child. He took a few moments to look over and examine the figure on the bed.

His wings were out, and he was laying on his back. The bed was specially made for this sort of thing, so it was not uncomfortable. That was where the changes started. His ears were slightly pointed at the ends, with millimeter long feathers, invisible if you weren’t looking, appearing on the tips. More feathers were now growing in his hair and along his neck. A long, slender tail sprouted from the base of his spine, somewhat reminiscent of a lion’s tail. The majority of it was the same white as the main portion of his wings, with long feathers laid out flat along it, until it reached the tip, where the feathers fluffed out, and similar to his primaries, came in the 7 colors of the rainbow. His nails were slightly longer and sharper, and his appearance was, overall, more feminine, and even more attractive than before.

Having gained all he could from casual observation, he picked up the file detailing the changes.

First of all, there were the things he had already observed. Apparently the previous faint glow in his eyes that Kuroko inherited from the Tsutomu twins was now bright enough that they would work as fairly effective flashlights in the dark. His eyes were also slightly more angular, likely to make him more attractive, and bone structure was thinner and more delicate. Canine teeth were also larger than before, and were hollow like a snake’s, in order to allow him to inject aphrodisiacs, tranquilizers, and the marking chemical once his body began producing them. All his bones were now hollow, with the soul’s energy taking the place of marrow, like usual. Said energy also writhed just beneath Tetsuya’s skin in an ultra-thin insulating layer, to allow for flight in extreme temperatures. Physiology was considerably better, with enhanced capabilities in all areas. All five senses show sign of having multiplied exponentially, even further than the average for Omegas, though considering the strength of the soul, this was expected. There was also the development of their kind’s reproductive system, based upon the use of magic, which meant he was now quite capable of being the male equivalent of pregnant (the only similarity was that both resulted in a new life, aside from that the methods were different, males didn’t have a womb or any of the other appropriate plumbing required to conceive a child). Mental capabilities are also enhanced, from an already high scale. Most importantly to note, the Omega pheromones are present, though there are potential problems. They are many times stronger and more effective than most. Thus, during maturity, he would likely have difficulties with harassment.

_ ‘As if we would allow those pitiful creatures to lay a hand on him.’ _

Finally, the marking that symbolized his class. Each class would develop a marking on their skin shaped like the greek symbol of Alpha, Beta, or Omega, upon reaching maturity. Tetsuya’s had appeared on his back, perfectly centered between where his wings sprouted from. It was a silver, reflective rendition of the Omegan symbol. Akashi hummed thoughtfully as he put the file back in its original position.

Turning, the ruby-eyed boy simply stared at the other for a few, long moments. Despite being a child, he did have the mentality of an adult, thanks to the fact that he, similar to Tetsuya, was a reincarnation with a strong enough imprint on his soul to be considerably more mature than otherwise. Reaching out, Akashi simply cupped the childish face of the other, running his thumb over high, elegant cheekbones and flawless, soft skin. Tetsuya was the only person he cared for other than himself. The only person whose well-being and happiness he would put before his own.

As long as his Tetsuya was safe, he didn’t care if the rest of the world burned. If it made the other happy, he would light the fire himself. Though, the angel-winged boy held too much of an attachment to others for him to allow such a thing to happen. Thus, he would protect them as well.

Only for Tetsuya.

He would need to be stronger. He had realized it earlier, but now, looking at how stunning the other was at only 5 years old, he truly understood. Some of the world’s most powerful people would desperately clamor for Tetsuya’s attention. Even with the laws in place to protect the fragile class, life was not so kind. With enough power, there were people who could attempt to acquire Tetsuya forcefully, and with far from legal means. He had an advantage, in that Tetsuya greatly enjoyed his presence. However, he also had a disadvantage, two, in fact. First of all, he only had a single wing. This would lower his status quite a bit. Second, half of his soul was that of an Outlier. There was a very high chance that when he awakened, he would assault Tetsuya. Even the thought angered him, at being so low as to be unable to control his own instincts.

_ ‘I will not give in so easily.’ _

_ ‘Of course not. As a part of me, to be dominated by your instincts would be absolutely shameful, Bokushi. To harm Tetsuya…’ _

_ ‘It will not happen. I have decided, so it is true.’ _

“Akashi-kun, arrogance is unbecoming.” Somehow, his voice was even more enthralling than before. There was a new quality to it, one that Akashi did not recognize (the man in the hallway who had barely heard it and was now heading for a cold-shower recognized it as seductive,  _ dear God what sort of adult could have a voice like that  _ [the thought of it belonging to a child didn’t even occur to him, or his reaction likely would have been different]). He did, however, recognize that his self-decided job of protecting Tetsuya from the wolves of the world just increased in difficulty.

Of course, as an Akashi, he wouldn’t fail.

“Tetsuya. I am glad to see you are awake. Also, it is not arrogance. It is certainty.”

“Akashi-kun. That is a very arrogant statement.” Akashi could hear the slightly teasing quality in the monotone voice, and smiled slightly in reply.

“Hm.” The two then fell into a comfortable silence, Kuroko sitting up and shifting to lean against the other boy. Unthinkingly, Akashi reached up and began gently running his fingers through the other’s hair. He was especially careful, with the multicolored feathers that were now growing among the silky blue locks. A few loose feathers fell out, but it clearly wasn’t harmful, so Akashi continued undeterred. Soon, however, an unfamiliar noise made him pause. As soon as he stopped, though, the noise stopped as well. Thus, deciding to ignore it, he went back to his previous action. This time, only a few seconds later, the sound started again, though this time it was recognizable. It was still confusing though.

Purring?

The only living creatures in here, were him and Kuroko. Since it certainly wasn’t coming from him, that left only one person. Carefully, Akashi shifted until he could see the phantom’s face. The bluenet had his eyes halfway closed, and expression incredibly relaxed, somewhat reminiscent of a pleased cat who was being petted. It was, truly quite adorable. Now that he was paying attention, it was clear that yes, Kuroko was in fact purring. If he remembered correctly, he believed this was an Omega thing, either when extremely relaxed and comfortable, or when attempting to calm someone else down.

He could see how it was used for that, since even without having yet come into his maturity, the sound was incredibly soothing. This, combined with the natural relaxants and tranquilizers their bodies produced, which could be injected through their hollow canines, was what made Omegas the most sought after healers, teachers, and caretakers. Even without those things, Omegan instincts and personalities were best suited for those jobs.

“Kuroko. You are my most precious existence.”

_ ‘The same goes for me, Tetsuya.’ _

“We will absolutely take care of you, no matter what.”

The new Omega looked slightly stunned at his words, before a barely noticeable blush appeared on his face (which for him, was like the equivalent of turning bright red from embarrassment). “Thank you, Akashi-kun. You are precious to me, as well. I too, will take care of you as long as I am able.”

Akashi blushed slightly as well.

From outside the door, nine overprotective parents were growling in irritation.

_ ‘The heck is this newly married atmosphere!?!’ _

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, the nine entered and filled the room. They were all emanating bloodlusting auras, and glaring hard enough that even another Alpha would have flinched. White teeth with extended canines flashed at the child, while the Alphas pulled their lips back in a snarl.

_ ‘As if we would hand him over to you so easily, brat!’ _

Akashi simply shot them a superior look, before turning away and back to Kuroko, as though they were below his notice.

The only reason they hadn’t attacked him at this point was because he hadn’t reached maturity. If he was, then they certainly wouldn’t have tolerated such defiance. However, attacking an unawakened simply wasn’t something that was done.

That didn’t mean they couldn’t try and go the “if looks could kill” route.

The center of the conflict remained oblivious as usual.

* * *

 

_ A few weeks later _

“Tet-ya, are you sure about this?” It was the 17th time she had asked this question, but Kumori couldn’t help it! She was a worried mother, okay!

Tetsuya, even with his stoic demeanor, seemed to finally be unable to handle it any longer. “Mama, I have been waiting to fly since I grew these wings. I held back, since I know that wings are unsuitable for flight until you reach maturity and the body completes the process to optimize it for flight. However, I hit my maturity weeks ago, am fully recovered, entirely prepared, and rather excited. I understand you are worried, however, I wish to begin learning to fly.” By the end of his spiel, his tail was slightly lifted, and all the usually flat feathers were splayed out, somewhat similar to a long-tailed widowbird’s in appearance. The unconscious display was meant to make him look more intimidating, along with the feathers in his hair and on his wings puffing out defensively.

Like an angry kitten. Dear God, how could anyone be this adorable… Even though it wasn’t for the reason Kuroko wanted, this attack was an instant KO, and a few minutes later, he was standing on the edge of the roof.

“Alright, we’ll take things slowly. Just spread out your wings and jump, your instincts should take care of the rest. We’re just aiming for a nice glide down to the yard, so don’t worry if you have difficulty. If you fall, I’ll catch you.”

“Hai.” Ordinarily, during this step, the flight-capable child would hesitate, as human instincts warred with newly gained animalistic ones. Human instincts said you would fall, while animal ones said you would fly. If they hesitated too long, the parent would have to push the child off the roof, where instincts would then take over and the child would at least manage a few seconds of glide. If they didn’t make it to the ground, the instructor would catch them. Simple, and effective. Even those with wings incapable of flight would be able to maintain a nice glide to the ground.

Of course, they hadn’t taken into account Tetsuya’s Omegan instincts. Alphas were very close to their instincts, but the human side still overwhelmed them unless provoked. Omegas were far, far closer. People forgot this because Omegas had a different  _ type _ of instinct, ones that encouraged comfort, affection, and care. Omegas couldn’t fight their instincts unless they were under rather extreme circumstances.

Omegas were born to fly, and their instincts drove this urge farther.

With other classes, there was still the human part of themselves that clung to the earth. Flying was pleasant, but mostly just something convenient, wings a method of showing strength and dominance. For Omegas, flying was like breathing. To force an Omega not to fly for a long period of time was  _ torture _ , and would eventually send them into a deep depression. One that, unless rectified, would eventually result in death. They were free creatures, whose entire being demanded to be in the air. The first flight was often euphoric, to the point that it wasn’t getting them up, but getting them  _ down _ that was the problem.

As he leapt from the roof without a second of hesitation, absolute certainty in the fact that he would  _ fly _ , not fall, his instincts truly shone through. The wind kissed his feathers, and he  _ soared _ .

Kumori only remembered these things when Tetsuya spiralled into a rather stunning display of aerial acrobatics, flying like he had done it a thousand times before. The flash of guilt she felt in realizing the reason he had been increasingly listless over the last few days, likely because of not yet getting to fly, was forgotten in the wake of utter shock at how beautiful her son was in the air.

His wings curved, tucked, spread, and twisted, miniscule movements of feathers adjusting his flight, changing speed, direction, and path with barely a thought, tail-feathers fully spread and moving in perfect symmetry with the rest of him to adjust steering through his desired way. Even as she watched, he flew up vertically, stalling in mid-air at the peak of his descent before falling backwards, belly-up, for a few heart-stopping seconds, then tucking his wings in and angling himself head-down into a dive, spreading his wings out in order to catch the air and send him up again before he hit the ground.

Tetsuya was smiling like she hadn’t seen since he developed his overly-serious personality. The thought of stopping him didn’t even occur to her as she watched him fly like he had been doing it his whole life. Magnificent white feathers glowing when the sun hit them, glorious rainbow-colored ones glinting in the rays. His appearance was as angelic as his heart. It wasn’t until several hours later, and it was starting to grow chilly, that she remembered he needed to come down soon.

“Tet-ya! Come in!” Remembering the fact that his Omega instincts had most definitely overridden his logical side, she did the only thing that would work in this situation. She couldn’t cater to his human mind, but rather, work with his animal instincts. Thus, her words were accompanied by the release of her Alpha Pheromones, combined with her Alpha Command in her voice.

Tetsuya wavered for several seconds before coming in.

Those few seconds were enough to stun Kumori. With the amount of Pheromones and Command she was exuding just then, even another Alpha would have leapt to follow her words, so for a supposedly submissive Omega to waver…

As she watched him descend from the sky, setting sun glittering across his features and giving him an otherworldly look, she easily let the thought go. She already knew her son was incredible, so what was something more? He came from nine incredibly powerful Alphas, after all. What was so strange about an Omega with the heart of an Alpha. From what she knew, it was possible for Omegas to defy an order they were completely against. Ones with more powerful souls would only submit to those who proved they deserved it.

Kumori wanted to cackle at the thought. It seemed that her worries about her son getting ordered about by pushy Alphas was unfounded. Any arrogant brat who thought they would have him barking at their heels would be in for a shock! Though, at the same time, such strength would just attract more powerful prospects. It was only natural to desire a strong mate after all. Plus, there was something about taming something independent, something which refused to acknowledge, much less bow to you, that was utterly enticing.

It seemed that anything less than a worthy prospect wouldn’t even get far enough for them to chase away.

_ ‘I’m so proud of you, Tetsuya.’ _

* * *

 

_ Akashi Seijuuro, 6 years old _

Akashi had been feeling, odd, lately. For the most part, everything was perfectly fine. However, his odd actions seemed centered around Kuroko.

Whenever he wasn’t nearby, Akashi found himself stressed and irritable, constantly wondering what the other was doing and if he was okay. It was beginning to irritate him, since both he and Bokushi recognized it as pushy, borderline obsessive behavior. From what he knew, that sort of thing was very rarely appreciated. Tetsuya was very gentle, but also quite free-spirited. Akashi  _ knew _ that though the other may separate from him, in the end, Tetsuya would eventually always return to his side.

However, the urges to tie the other to him, never let him free, while they were still young enough that others wouldn’t come between them, were getting in the way. He knew that if Tetsuya were to be met with such attempts, it would only push the other farther from him. That was something he wouldn’t accept.

It was like that saying. If you truly love something, set it free. If it comes back it’s yours, if not, it was never meant to be. To try and restrain Tetsuya would only cause the other to struggle to free himself. As they were now, he knew that no matter what, Tetsuya would return to him. However, if he tried chaining the other, he knew that eventually the one he loved would be gone forever, never to return. He adored Tetsuya for his heart (he wasn’t yet old enough to fully understand just how  _ attractive _ the other was) and if Tetsuya was trapped, even if he was there physically, the part of him Akashi loved would doubtless disappear.

Thus, he and Bokushi stamped down on these feelings of possession. They had already learned that you cannot deny a part of yourself, and so they didn’t (one such as himself did not make the same mistake twice, after all). Rather than ignore it, they accepted these feelings were part of them. However, they would not be controlled by them.

They had far too much to lose by giving in.

Thus, they succeeded in keeping themselves under control. These odd feelings at least brought about one good thing. Every single second they spent with Tetsuya was appreciated more than previously. From interactions and observations of others, they knew just how lucky they were to have someone like Tetsuya (even if he wasn’t yet theirs in the romantic way). The two personalities thus made certain to appreciate him. Of course, they did still get into fights.

“Tetsuya.”

“Hai, Akashi-kun.”

“What did you think you were doing.”

“I was going to fly, Akashi-kun. I thought your eyes were better than that.” A red eyebrow twitched slightly at the other’s words. While he sounded the same as ever, Akashi knew Tetsuya well enough to know when he was irritated. For some reason, when the other was upset, he always attempted to provoke whomever his ire was directed towards. So, with a deep inhalation, he forced himself to calm down.

“Tetsuya. You are in no condition to be flying right now. Return to bed, and rest. That is an order.”

“...” The defiant look he got from the feverish boy he was currently pinning down made a low growl rumble from his throat. The Omega’s eyes widened slightly in response, recognizing the timbre as that of an irate Alpha, but it was much too early for Akashi to hit his maturity. Akashi, meanwhile, was focused on the fact that the other was defying him so blatantly.

He had, of course, researched Omegas upon finding Kuroko was one. He knew that an Omega of such a high caliber as Kuroko would only listen to those who managed to earn the right to order them about. Tetsuya’s human side respected and cared deeply for him. However, to his Omega side, he was just a particularly demanding youngling who hadn’t reached maturity. While he had a bit of acknowledgement, he wouldn’t be truly respected until he awakened. Even then, he would need to prove himself. Omegas demanded nothing less than someone capable of caring for, protecting, and dominating them. Someone incapable of even bringing them to heel wasn’t considered as a potential mate candidate.

He didn’t mind this fact too much, since he thought it was only right that Tetsuya not easily submit to someone not deserving of it (the thought he would not be deserving didn’t even occur to him). At times like this, however, it was more irritating than anything.

Thus, rather waste words when it was obvious the other wouldn’t listen, he instead swept him into his arms. Tetsuya was, of course, ridiculously light, even among those who had hollow bones. Though he was fit, with lean muscle rather than fat on his childish frame, thanks to the Omegan biology, he for some reason was incapable of maintaining any considerable weight. It was slightly worrying, but Tetsuya didn’t really show any adverse effects, so they didn’t think on it much.

At the moment however, it came in quite handy, as Akashi carried the phantom back to his room, ignoring the others weak-to-the-point-they-were-barely-noticeable struggles. Though, the way he was carrying the other made a part of his mind he ignored rather steadfastly perk up.

_ ‘Ohohoho, I see you’ve already gotten to the bridal carry stage. Should I start writing invitations?’ _

Yes, the part of him he steadfastly refused to acknowledge. The part of him born from being forced to watch rom-coms in order to escape the utter boredom ensnaring him at the time. The temporary relief was not worth the curse that had followed him since.

_ ‘Ah, young love…’ _

_ ‘Go back to where you came from, damn it!’ _

_ ‘Ufu, you don’t mean that, Oreshi-kun.’ _

_ ‘Leave us.’ _

_ ‘Ah, Bokushi. So demanding, as always. Though, it doesn’t work on Tetsuya-chan, does it?’ _

In the distance Kagura chuckled maliciously. While she couldn’t really force them apart, since it would make Tetsuya-chan sad, that didn’t mean she would make things easy for that red haired brat to take her cute son away.

Thus, the prideful scion of the Matsukaze family, one of the top psychics in the world, used her incredible capabilities in the best way she could think of in her current situation. For petty harassment.

* * *

 

_ Seijuro Akashi, 7 years old _

_ Bokushi felt, odd. He seemed to be floating in a red haze. Absently, he was aware of his actions. Felt as he snapped the fragile wrist of the person he most adored. Saw the minute flinch from the other, yet there wasn’t even a hint of fear. _

_ How disappointing. _

_ Perhaps he wasn’t trying hard enough. The other’s wings and tail were quite sensitive, he knew. A few light touches were more than enough to render the Omega unable to move. _

_ Yes, that would do. _

_ Thus, a few moments later, he sunk his teeth into Tetsuya’s left wing. Felt warm blood pool in his mouth, felt the soft give of delicate flesh beneath his oversized canines, that grew with his maturity. He noted with amusement the furious Oreshi who was clawing at him, attempting to drag him down from his position as the one currently in control. _

_ For the last few days, he had been like this. Had been careful to act normally around the rest of the house. It wasn’t as though he especially minded touching Kuroko. He rather enjoyed it, for a reason he couldn’t remember. Whenever he had the chance, though, he would hurt the other in a small way, with words or actions. It was a bit annoying though. The way the blue-haired boy only looked slightly saddened whenever he did it. There was no furious hurt, or hate, or brokenness. Where was the self-hatred, self-pity, the fear? _

_ Thus, he had decided to take things to a slightly more extreme level. Yet, all he felt was that same sadness, with a hint of pain. At least he got to hear the other let out a tiny, choked cry, and as he gently removed his teeth from the other’s wing without causing more damage (why was that? He should have ripped out a chunk) he leaned back to look into the eyes of the other. His cruel smile grew wider at the sight of the silent tears falling from the other’s eyes. _

_ It was a strangely tragic look. The way the Omega simply sat, and stared with those same saddened eyes, not shaking, not making a sound. Just silent tears streaming down his face as an uncontrollable result from the agony he was in. At least he got to see those eyes in a haze of pain. _

_ It was because of him. What a delightful feeling. _

_ A low hum emerged from his throat as he swallowed the blood in his mouth, tongue flicking out to gather the drops around his lips. It made a horrifying picture, seeing that childish face with such an expression. He hummed again, pleased, as he saw the streams of blood dripping down those beautiful, beautiful wings. The lovely crimson, his color, staining pure white with red. _

_ Delightful. _

_ Still, those eyes irritated him. He moved closer again, this time bringing his mouth closer to his shoulder. He wanted to leave a scar there, one that made sure he was never forgotten. Though, he had the strangest urge before that. _

“Why don’t you cower in front of me, Tetsuya? I’ll break you, and you know it. Why do you still reach out for me, even though you know I’ll simply shatter the hand you use?”

_ Not waiting for an answer, he simply sunk his teeth into the other once more. His skin was pale and pure, like his wings. How wonderful, to see it stained. He was quite shocked when the other spoke, since he hadn’t said a word in the past few days. _

“Because, Seijuro”  _ something rose in him when that voice spoke his name, and he bit down harder in response, _ “I promised you that if you could not fly, then I would be the one to carry you to the stars. I cannot fulfill that promise if I shy from your touch.” 

_ Those words shocked him, and in his memory, that moment stirred, wrapped in the others arms and wings, cradled in warmth and love and acceptance, despite what his father named a defect. His jaw loosened and he jerked away, surprise making him rougher than before, though something made him loosen his teeth enough that the angel-winged boy’s skin only tore a little around the puncture wounds. Staring into those eyes  _ (the most beautiful eyes in the world) _ , which looked straight into his own  _ (so ugly in comparison) _ having lost even the previous sadness for such pure trust that he flinched slightly, an ugly feeling he didn’t recognize welling up as more memories filled his mind. _

“Besides. I trust that Seijuro won’t hurt me.”

_ His eyes widened, tears sprouting and staining his cheeks, and his heart broke. He recognized that ugly feeling. _

_ It was  _ guilt.

Suddenly, he was freed from the haze which had covered his mind. A bloody red haze that demanded he hurt this boy with such lovely wings  _ (how dare he have wings when we are wingless, destroy him and rip them off as your trophy) _ and the memory of his actions, his thoughts, had him scrambling over to the nearby trashcan and throwing up everything in his stomach, as he continued to heave even when there was nothing left. When there was nothing left to expel, the recognizable red tint in the mess( _ Tetsuya’s blood _ ) had the convulsions starting all over again.

There was someone behind him, and he tensed, but then cool, pale hands were holding back his hair, rubbing circles on his back and whispering gentle words of comfort. A purr rumbled from the other, and the sound was so relaxing he stopped throwing up, but his heart still beat too fast, the memories of what he had done to the boy he  _ loved, adored, who trusted him so wholeheartedly and look what he did. _

Then there were teeth sinking into the junction between his neck and shoulder, and he felt confused and panicked for a split second before suddenly he was  _ calm _ . Tetsuya remained there for a moment longer, making sure the tranquilizing chemical he had just injected through his fangs was enough, before withdrawing. Gently, he guided Akashi into a seated position, curled against him like a child seeking comfort (he  _ was _ a child seeking comfort, no matter how rapidly he had matured, as a reincarnation and genius, he was still a  _ child _ ). Kuroko ran his hands through the other boy’s hair, calming him from his fit.  _ ‘It must have been a shock for Akashi-kun to suddenly snap out of the state he was in.’ _

The agony emanating from his wing and shoulder were ignored and discarded as unnecessary. Even as he suppressed and compartmentalized the pain where it could be ignored, Akashi was still linked to him, stronger than ever. He could feel the  _ pain _ emanating from the other, that Tetsuya was ignoring for his sake  _ (that he had caused) _ , even the echoes of it he could sense were excruciating.

Tetsuya was incredible. Awe-inspiring.

_ He was so far from worthy of him, how could he have ever thought he was even close. _

“Do not think like that, Seijuro.” His name again. Hearing Tetsuya say it, was a strangely wonderful feeling. Waves of love, adoration, comfort, and safety were pressed upon him by the other, until eventually, he could think again.

“I adore you. I think what I feel for you will even develop into love. To see you unhappy makes me sad. I know that it is selfish, but please, Seijuro. I do not wish to be sad.”

“Tetsuya…” There was nothing he could really say. However, for the other’s sake, he would drag himself out of this. Tetsuya was only happy when the people he loved were happy. “I can’t right now. I’m sorry. But, eventually, I’ll be happy again, for you.” Akashi pulled away, to look the other in the eyes. “I’ll protect you. I’ll rip apart anything that tries to hurt you.”  _ I can never atone for what I’ve done to you. So I’ll love you, and adore you, and treasure you so you’re never taken for granted. You’ve suffered enough. I’ll make sure you don’t have to anymore. _

The moment was broken, though, by a familiar pain rippling through him. His single wing burst from his skin, ruining the shirt he was wearing in the process. The other side of his back, the one that had no wing, had a slit with a familiar golden-orange glow emanating from it. Though, the other one had been the crimson of the wing already sprouting from his back. Outliers have a much, much faster way of growing their wings, though it is also more painful. The soul has to rapidly congregate in the back, and burst out violently in order to surpass the previous limitations. The sudden conversion from the soul of an Outlier, to the soul of an Alpha was never pleasant. How could having your soul reshaped be anything but painful?

Thus, Akashi grew a second wing. As pain rippled through his body, he didn’t scream, or thrash. He deserved this pain, had no right to complain, when he had caused Tetsuya so much worse. Yet through it, as an orange-gold wing with a matching structure to his red one sprouted, Tetsuya continued to hold him, continued to soothingly purr, and wrapped him in angelic white wings.

Wings that were healed and pristine as ever, without a sign of damage (except four silver circles where Akashi’s canines had pierced them). They were formed from the soul, after all, and the only scars that would show up were scars on the soul, not the physical form.

(How could having the fangs of your treasured person be anything but scarring?)

“I knew that Akashi-kun’s wings would be beautiful. They’re like your eyes. Like your soul. One wing sprouts from each half of your soul. Oreshi-kun, yours is the most stunning shade of red I’ve ever seen, like a ruby, and fire, and roses, cherries, apples, whatever you can think of, all at once. Bokushi-kun, yours is orange-gold, the sunrise in your feathers. I love them both.” Saying such an embarrassing thing, Tetsuya didn’t even blink, simply showing a gentle smile the whole time. “I’m certain that you will fly beautifully with them. Even though I no longer need to carry you to the stars, since you can fly on your own, I will still fly alongside you. I’ll be there to catch you if you fall.”

A small, hesitant smile pulled at Akashi’s lips. Eventually, he would smile as he had before, but this was the best he could do for now. “I would like that, my Tetsuya. Now that I have wings to fly with, even if your wings give out, I’ll be there to carry you until you can soar again.”

“Even when you couldn’t fly, I never doubted that.”

* * *

 

**A/N - Ah, ha, ha? Feels! Feels everywhere! Who doesn’t want a good feels trip once in awhile. Also, wow, much Akashi. Enter harem member number one (and two)! Treat him well, Kuroko, he’ll treat you** **_very_ ** **well, Ufu.**

**Still though, twenty pages, almost 9000 words, of** **_Akashi_ ** **. It’s like, what have I done. Still though, possessive childish Akashi is possessive. Plus cute. Also, yes, both personalities have fallen for Kuroko’s charm! So, it’s kinda like a threesome, with two people? Either way, double the Akashi means double the trauma! Though, for Kuroko it’s pretty enjoyable.**

**Anywho, bad parenting (on the Akashi side), check. Cliche bonding time, check. Grew a second wing after a highly traumatic experience, check. Bokushi is no longer an Outlier, but an Alpha, and Oreshi will get dragged along and end up hitting his maturity early as well.**

**Also, seriously, imagine** **_that_ ** **scene, with a seven year old Akashi. It makes it so, so much worse.**

**Mature children are mature.**

**As for the development of Akashi, think about it. He developed his winner's mentality thanks to his dad putting pressure on him. So here, where he is casually discarded as defective goods far before then, he immediately latches onto the nearest source of positive attention, Kuroko. Akashi is a very mature child, yes, but still a child. It’s also canon that Akashi has an obsessive/possessive personality, except in canon he fixates on winning. Here, he fixates on Kuroko. Previously, his mother was the only one to show him any sort of positive attention, but in this fic, Akashi’s father isolated him upon discovering his ‘defect’, which means he’d gone two years with hardly any human contact. Traumatizing, much? So, when Kuroko comes in, suddenly paying attention to him, helping him, complimenting him, not even** **_caring_ ** **about his single wing, focusing on him instead, Akashi develops an obsession.**

**Honestly, I think it’s a fairly normal reaction under the circumstances, while taking Akashi’s personality into account. As for looks, think chibi Teiko!Akashi, who frequently switches between the two personalities. (I prefer him with bangs, you see)**

**So, message me if you have any questions. I’ll do my best to answer them. Who knows, you might point out some plot holes that I missed (it wouldn’t be a shock).**

**Also sorry, but I’m going to do some horrible, horrible things after this chapter. Not necessarily next chapter, but soon. It’s just a setup though, not the main focus, so as soon as the traumatizing stuff is over with, fluff shall reign supreme!**

_ My soul carries me to the stars, I’ll take you with me. _


	4. Chapter 4 - My Wings Are Giving Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing except for any OC’s and the plot. All rights belong to their respective owners. This is solely for entertainment purposes.
> 
> Warnings: PTSD, slight violence, a little cursing, un-beta’d
> 
> Also, I’ve done a little editing in past chapters, and a reviewer brought up my forgetting to mention how they keep from freezing when really high up, so I added that into chapter 3. Thanks for the reminder~!

 

Akashi stood alone in his room. Red eyes gazed into a mirror, almost entranced by his own reflection. A twitch of his back muscles had feathers rustling and twitching, and his eyes only became more focused by the movement. He spread the large appendages wide, ruby orbs tracing each contour and muscle of his lovely, lovely wings. A wing of a red that couldn’t be categorized by the variety of names humans had created to label shades. It was  _ red, red, red _ , and that was all one could say. The other, meanwhile, was an equally magnificent orange-gold. His beloved Tetsuya had once told him it reminded him of the setting sun, and royalty. His wings lifted slightly in an unconscious display of pride simply thinking about Tetsuya’s words.

At the same time, however, both sides of Akashi felt slightly ashamed, looking into the mirror, taking pride in his new wing  _ (because I’m not defective anymore, not incomplete, so you have to love me, have to have to have to-) _ . How could he take pride in something he only gained in response to Tetsuya’s pain? Pain caused by him. The moon seemed to gleam almost mockingly behind his window panes, but Akashi ignored the thought, knowing it was his own psych making natural, meaningless actions into something more. It was too late to be awake, though too early would be a better descriptor.

A nightmare had chased him from his dreams. Had made him wake in terror, cold sweat slipping down his flesh, muscles desperately twitching in a frantic attempt to move, move, _ move _ , escape the paralysis that gripped him in those waking moments. Forgetting entirely the knowledge it was nothing more than his body taking a few moments more to properly wake and respond. Instead, his frozen muscles were a result of a beast holding him in the dark, wrapped around him and cooing its deadly promises into the shell of his ear. Whispering the punishment he knew was coming, knew he deserved, because how could someone who hurt an angel, be anything less than a demon? He could feel it already, the warm, sweet taste of blood in his mouth, the euphoric sensation of coppery liquid slipping down his throat, darting his tongue out to snag the last crimson drops from around his lips, glee welling up at those sad, sad blue eyes, and crimson stained white, until it was red, red, red, red, red red red  _ red red red  _ **_red red re-_ **

Then Bokushi was there, forcing back his terror, grabbing the memories that haunted him in his sleep and crushing them, crumpling them, shoving them far, far down, to rise again when sleep had his defenses lowering once more.

_ “Oreshi. If you allow this to continue, Tetsuya will awaken and come to our side. He will wrap his arms and wings around us, whisper comforting words in our ears, make all the pain and fear and guilt go away. And when you look at him you will see guilt in his eyes for what he blames himself for, sadness that he cannot do more, and it will hurt him, because we are hurting.” _

He wanted that. Selfishly, disgustingly, he wanted it, craved it, every greedy little piece of him latching onto the thought,  _ Tetsuya would fix this, Tetsuya would make it all go away _ , and he would. But look what his selfishness had already done. Manifestations of the soul could not be scarred. Unless the wound reached down past flesh and bone and muscle, straight to the deepest part of you. Now Tetsuya carried silvery, shining pinpricks one those white white wings, noticeable scars to forever remind him of his weakness, his lack of control, his failure. His broken promise. He had sworn to let nothing harm Tetsuya again. That included from himself.

So here he sat, waiting for the sun. Waiting for everyone to wake. Waiting for Tetsuya to wake, because he wouldn’t know the heart-rending agony slowly tearing him apart, but he would still make everything so much better. As he waited, he watched himself. Guiltily reveled in his wings, plural. And shamefully looked at the rest of him, at his weakness.

He had lost weight, cheeks still full with baby fat becoming more sunken as the days went by, shadows creeping in and haunting the underneath of his eyes. He was pale, and looked almost sickly. Yet these signs, so clear to his eyes that saw all, missed nothing, were invisible to the rest of the world. Because an Akashi was, above all else, not this weak. An Akashi could keep down his meals, wouldn’t feel them creeping back up at the memory of blood on his tongue, down his throat, in his stomach (and it was delicious, it tasted amazing, and that sickened him more). An Akashi could sleep as long as they desired, not a moment less, they would not be woken in the night by creeping horrors.

He had never been fearful of the monsters under the bed. He still wasn’t. After all, the monster was in him. It looked through his eyes and talked through his mouth, walked with his legs and gently cradled his beloved’s face with his hands. He had been so sure, so confident, so certain that he could protect himself and Tetsuya from the horrors of the world, because he was absolute and nothing stood against him.

_ “Bokushi, tell me please.” _ He was begging pathetically, it was shameful he knew, but his fear and hurt and exhaustion was far stronger.  _ “How can I protect Tetsuya. How, when the monster is me?” _

Ten minutes later, Kuroko entered, and was greeted with a confident smirk and smooth “Good morning”, no different than usual. Kuroko wasn’t blind though, he could see right through the flimsy facade. Yet he was afraid. He was so weak, so foolish, he could only cause more damage, more hurt. He was too afraid to even try and help. So he carried on as though he couldn’t see Akashi breaking apart before his eyes, turning to dust and slipping through his fingers.

Bokushi never did answer the question.

* * *

 

Tetsuya couldn’t handle it any longer. He was cowardly he knew. Had recoiled and avoided, tried not to draw out that ocean of pain swirling and churning below still waters. Even as he offered small smiles and dry commentary, he inwardly flinched at the thought of dealing with the other’s pain. Pain caused by himself. He deluded himself, said Akashi was strong, far stronger than him. Akashi would be fine, he would never lose to the pain bubbling under the surface, never lose to the monster devouring him from the inside out.

Tetsuya also knew he was wrong.

Akashi would lose. Lose to someone other than him, and this was not a loss that would be used to shape and temper his resolve with a few wise words. It was a loss that would shred him from the inside, one he would never recover from. Broken things are not so easily fixed. Even if they look the same, they never truly  _ are _ .

So he resolved himself. The way things were, chances of recovery were zero. It was possible that he would make things worse, break things far beyond repair. Yet, one percent and zero percent carry a world of difference between them. It would only be zero if he did nothing, gave up without a fight.

Kuroko Tetsuya refused to make the chance zero percent with his weakness. Never. Never would he allow himself to give up.

So he gripped a chin that was steadily growing bonier in one hand, tilted the others face until two pairs of guilt-shadowed eyes met each other. Refused to so much as blink, much less look away, from eyes that were becoming dull. He shook and trembled on the inside, wanted to let go and backpedal, act as though the action was meaningless, done on a whim.

But he didn’t.

“Akashi-kun. No, Seijuuro.” Ruby were illuminated with shock, and a rush of relief filled him at seeing them brim with something other than pain. Desperately hoped that his actions would let those eyes fill with something more once again, and not leave them forever dull.

_ ‘Remember, I won’t let it be zero, I’ll never let it be zero. Even if it’s just one, that’s still one more than zero.’ _ It was a mantra in his head, the reason he couldn’t back out.

“When you told me all those cruel things, it was painful.” Suddenly, life drained from red eyes, and they dulled again. His resolve wavered, then firmed.  _ ‘Never zero.’ _ “It hurt when you gripped my arm tight enough to leave bruises. It hurt when you jerked on my hand hard enough it felt like my shoulder was going to pop out of its socket.” He barely kept the tremor out of his voice, seeing the pain he caused Aka- no, Seijuuro, with his words.

“It hurt when you grabbed my chin hard enough to leave bruises. It hurt like nothing I’ve ever experienced before when I felt your teeth sink into my wings. It was like someone lit my blood on fire. I wanted to pass out, to run away and never come near you again. It burned worse when you smiled at my pain. I almost wanted to hate you. It’s true, you have a monster inside of you.”

Seijuuro was trembling, emotional agony filling him up and making him want to scream to the heavens. But he wouldn’t close his eyes or ears. He would listen to every word and accept them. He could do no less. He deserved no less.

“So do I.”

Behind the oceans of guilt, a spark of confusion lit.

“There’s a monster in you. A monster in me. In my parents, my friends, people who are loved and people who are hated. Everything I just said hurt you, didn’t it. Isn’t that what makes a monster? Hurting someone simply because you want to?”

Instantly, everything in Seijuuro rejected the very concept of it. “No. Never. You can never be a monster, Tetsuya.”

“A monster hurts others on purpose, simply for their own selfish reasons. Everyone has a monster in them. Everyone lets it out. It sits in its cage most of the time, makes you comfortable, and lax. Then suddenly it wants out, and the cage isn’t nearly as sturdy as you thought it was. It slips out and does what it came to do. So if everyone has a monster in them, and everyone lets it out, then what is it that makes a difference? Between man and monster, what changes?”

Sky blues truly looked into eyes that had brightened into rubies again. Guilt still filled them, yet a tiny spark of hope, of almost-anticipation desperately struggled to stay above the water.

“The difference is whether the monster stays. When you let the monster stay, let it remain and control your actions and you, then there isn’t a difference any longer. You become the monster. However, when you force it back, put it into its cage, then you aren’t the same being any more. There is you, and there is the monster, that is a part of you.”

Tetsuya tried to put as much force into his next words as he could.

“A part of you that you won’t be controlled by.”

Seijuuro felt alive again. The guilt still tugged and grasped, struggled to pull him back down, drown him in its waters and crush him with its weight. But when Tetsuya was there, holding out a hand and pulling him away from the frightening depths, it didn’t feel nearly so strong. It wasn’t something that would just go away. It was something that he had to defeat. Could defeat.

Something he would defeat.

* * *

 

It wasn’t as though things were instantly fixed after that moment. Akashi still had trouble eating. He still had nightmares. He still doubted himself, and when nothing was there to distract him, he still started to get pulled under the waves once again. There was one very big difference, though.

He fought back.

Akashi no longer simply accepted himself as an irredeemable monster, one not worth saving. Instead, he knew he had the potential to be a monster. He also knew that it was a potential he would not allow to be fulfilled. For Tetsuya and for himself, he would not lose again.

Less and less would he have to stop eating because it suddenly tasted like blood in his mouth.

Less and less would he wake trembling under an onslaught of memories twisted into something worse than what truly was.

Less and less would he doubt himself, instead acknowledging his faults and working to be better.

Less and less would he be alone.

The fact that Tetsuya essentially became his shadow helped. Now that the phantom was more confident, his ability to read people returned full force, and with it his ability to actually help. When Akashi needed to be alone, (which while rare, did happen), he would be alone. When Akashi needed silent company, he got it. When Akashi needed conversation, they talked.

Thus, gradually, he recovered. He was also slightly ashamed of himself. After all, the one who had been hurt the most was Tetsuya. Betrayed and injured in multiple ways by one of the people he trusted most. Tetsuya had nightmares, and panic attacks, and times he flinched away. But the difference between them, was Tetsuya had not given in. He faced and battled against his issues, pushing them back, while Akashi had attempted to turn away and hide them, letting them grow and fester like an infected wound.

Of course, there was one other problem, because things could never be easy.

Tetsuya’s parents.

Originally, their relationship was a fairly friendly rivalry. Tease each other, attempt to outdo the other, and poke fun, but it was all good natured. Now though, it was frosty at best. They hardly acknowledged his existence, and had even begun to try and keep Tetsuya apart from him. Not to say it worked, especially with the sadly disappointed look the phantom would hit them with, but they were actually  _ trying  _ now. It wasn’t an entertaining competition anymore, but instead genuine disapproval. And it hurt.

Everytime he looked into eyes that no longer held the warmth they once did, instead replaced by distrust, it was like having one of his feathers ripped out. Sharp, painful, and not likely to go away anytime soon. Akashi could still remember their first meeting after  _ that incident _ .

_ Kuroko, still cradling him as he shivered, tensed slightly. Reacting instantly, Akashi tugged away and turned to the door, positioning himself so as to best defend against the potential threat. A thin hand suddenly carved through the door, so smoothly that the wood around the new holes looked like it had been professionally carved through. Akashi flinched slightly at the effortless display of strength, but at the same time recognized the presence on the other side of the door and thus quickly backed off. The hand, deceptively small, twisted and tensed, fingers curling and latching onto the wood surrounding where they entered. The slightest shift of muscles and deepening of the indentations created by long fingers was the only warning they got, for when the door was ripped off its hinges. The perpetrator didn’t even glance back as the door slammed into the wall so hard that both it and the wall shattered into tiny pieces, the absurd display nothing more than an afterthought. _

_ Burning orange flashed over ruby red, and moved past to meet sky blue behind him. Yoshitake stalked past the frozen child, the same hand that had just effortlessly decimated a door and wall coming up to ghost over rapidly regenerating bite marks. The other 8 follow behind slipping through the doorway and not even sparing an extra glance for Akashi’s tearstained face and unhealthy pallor. As they crowded Tetsuya, scenting the pain and sick in the air, checking him over almost obsessively to ensure there were no other marks, the only acknowledgement Akashi received was momentary. Looking in from the outside, his eyes met with the black abyss belonging to Gin, and when he almost fearfully turned his gaze away, he saw something far more terrifying. Kunio. It was like looking up from the bottom of the ocean, desperately looking for any hint of the surface, but finding no relief from the darkness. _

_ Akashi didn’t even notice when he took a step back. _

_ Even with this short interaction, he saw it. He no longer held a place within this odd, loving family. Those eyes whispered accusation. _

Things hadn’t gotten any better in that regard. To them, he wasn’t the boy they had grown to care for. He was the boy who hurt Tetsuya. In their eyes, no matter who else they came to love, Tetsuya would eternally stand high above the rest. Any harm brought to him outweighed anything else, no matter the reasoning, the excuses, they would let everything turn to ash if it meant keeping him happy. They were similar to Akashi in this way. The difference was, they had the power to do it. The singular thing protecting Akashi from a cruel death was Tetsuya’s love for him. They wouldn’t upset their child so. But even that would not warm them to him so easily.

Only Tetsuya would forgive betrayal so easily. So foolishly. So they would let him be foolish, and be the cruel ones in his place.

Ironic, how the two group’s ideals still matched up cleanly, despite now being so at odds with each other.

Yet, Akashi could be patient. He would regain their trust again. Even if it took decades, even if it took centuries. He would not allow harm to come to Tetsuya, thus it was inevitable that eventually they would accept him once more.

For now, he would just have to deal with it.

* * *

 

_ 10 years old _

“Come on, Akashi-kun. I will allow nothing to happen to you. You have delayed this for far too long.”

“Call me Seijuuro, Tetsuya.”

The look he got in return was blank, so Akashi tried a different approach. Why was it so difficult to get Tetsuya to call him by his first name outside of extreme situations?

“If you call me Seijuuro, I’ll jump,” he offered. The phantom considered the proposition for a moment, before taking two steps towards the edge of the roof, wings still withdrawn.

“Then hurry, Seijuuro.” Even as pink crawled up his cheeks, Akashi jerked forward in an instinctive reaction as Tetsuya allowed himself to fall backwards, disappearing off the edge of the roof. Forgetting the other could fly, he moved forward on pure instinct, wings snapping out so fast that a sharp crack sounded. Akashi took a flying leap off the roof, any hesitation forgotten, wings wide and catching the air currents, feathers unconsciously adjusting so he flew in a somewhat graceful manner, though the occasional wobble displayed his lack of experience. Eyes darting back and forth, he searched for the other, only to be caught by surprise when his hand was snagged by a smaller one.

Turning, he found himself looking into Tetsuya’s eyes, and before he could gain his bearings he was led into an upwards twirl, somewhat akin to a dance, before the paler child released his hand to whirl into some rather impressive maneuvers. His wide-spread white tail feathers caught the light and glittered, and the brilliant rainbow-colored ones adorning the ends seemed to generate their own light. Tetsuya adjusted himself so smoothly that every twitch was practically an art form, adjusting feathers becoming a wave like ripple that forced you to realize you were witnessing something incredible. Not that Akashi didn’t already know that.

His irritation was not so easily forgotten though. Not even by Tetsuya’s magnificent flying. It was difficult, but he would resist. Instead, he observed, and foreseeing the exact moment to intercept, he dove forward and twisted just in time to catch Tetsuya by the wrists, savoring the other boy’s shocked look, and spinning around to release the momentum built. Stilling aside from their wing beats, he leaned closer until he was all Tetsuya could see, noses almost brushing.

“Now Tetsuya, love.  _ What did you think you were doing _ .” Suddenly, he was all Alpha, pure domination rolling off him in uncontrolled waves. His strength was absurd even by the standards of those older than him. Proud, wild, untameable, and full of power that could make anyone bow and recognize. Of course, Tetsuya’s strength was absurd in its own right. The Omega just leaned even closer in reply, despite being lower in their sudden power-play, there was no sign of submissiveness in his posture.

“I believe I was flying,  _ Sei-chan _ .” Unconsciously, he addressed the other in an intimate, almost teasing way.  _ ‘Prove yourself to me. Prove that you are worthy for me to submit to. Prove that you deserve it.’ _ Meanwhile, Akashi rose to the challenge, though he didn’t rise to the bait. His smirk widened.

“Surely you noticed, Tetsuya. So suddenly leaving my presence without even a goodbye, it’s only natural I was rather shocked. You can be so clumsy sometimes, I was worried you might be hurt.” The corners of pale pink lips twitched up slightly, though Tetsuya didn’t look away even in the face of Akashi’s gradually increasing pressure. Rather than respond, he turned his hands until his fingers intertwined with Akashi’s, and the twitch became a full blown smile as he pulled the other along with him into a dive straight for the ground.

_ ‘Can you keep up?’ _

In reply to the unasked question, Akashi shifted, taking control of their flight, and pulled the other out of their dive. Smirking, he controlled their movements with ease. Occasionally letting go to allow Tetsuya to move freely, but quickly returning to snag the other once again in their strange aerial dance. Each time, he made sure the other didn’t get too far away, knowing the other to be superior in both flight capabilities and experience.

_ ‘I can do more than keep up.’ _

That was the first time that every part of Tetsuya acknowledged Akashi as worthy. His human side trusted and respected him. His Omega side finally found him worthy to submit to. There was no longer a part of him remaining defiant. He would accept the redhead whole-heartedly, now.

Kunio closed the eye he had kept cracked open, watching the two children fly side-by-side. That Akashi brat still would get a cool response whenever he approached, but they wouldn’t treat him in an openly hostile manner, either.

Of course, just as things were getting better, it was only natural something would go wrong.

* * *

 

An average-looking man, wearing a neatly pressed suit, approached and casually leaned up against the wall beside the head of the Akashi corporation. “Did you know, that the ghost-child of The Nine managed to make your son grow a second wing?” Red eyes slid to the side, paying attention now.

“Yes, it seems your son has managed to become an Alpha. He’s quite powerful, now. Though he seems to have a bit of an obsession with that cute little Omega. Not that I can blame him. Even among adults, I’ve never seen anyone so powerful, and his wings are stunning enough to take even my breath away. A fine catch, that can benefit the Akashi greatly, especially considering how powerful his parents are.”

Not replying, the elder Akashi simply straightened, and walked away from the short, one-sided conversation.

It was time to retrieve his son.

* * *

 

“Akashi-san. What can we do for you.” Akatori ran a considering gaze over the powerful man. For the other to show up unannounced, was unusual.

“Akatori. I have come to retrieve my son,” was the chilly reply. Akatori narrowed his eyes at the subtle disrespect, but nodded anyways. Ultimately, there was nothing that could be done. He didn’t like the brat all that much either way, but Tetsuya would be upset.

Leading the other man, within a few minutes they found themselves walking in on Akashi, with his wings out, preening Tetsuya’s feathers. The angelic wings were spread wide, and shuddered slightly at each touch. Tetsuya’s eyes were half-closed in pleasure, and his entire posture was lax as a soothing purr emerged from his throat. A shocked intake of breath reminded Akatori of his company, and he looked behind himself to see an unsettling look in the other man’s eyes. The greedy tinge made him want to get the company head as far from his son as possible.

The two children stilled and looked up, finally realizing the presence of another in the room. However, before anyone could say anything, the elder Akashi walked over to his son without a word, wrapping a large hand around the boy’s thin arm and pulling him up. Without paying any attention to the other’s shocked looks, or unnecessary things like common courtesy, he continued his silent march towards the exit, dragging Seijuuro behind him all the while. He didn’t even seem to notice the child frantically struggling to tug away, bi-colored wings flapping frantically as the powerful grip didn’t loosen. The struggles beginning to irritate him, the elder finally stopped to glare, the presence of a far superior Alpha quelling the previous struggles.

“As my son, you must obey your father’s wishes. And an Akashi does not exhibit such an unsightly display, even when no one is present.” The utter shock that blanketed him upon this new revelation made Seijuuro compliantly follow along, expression dazed, as the stronger continued to drag him. Going outside, a form of opposition made an appearance and woke Akashi from his stunned state.

Rainbow tipped white wings beat the air hard enough it was like the approaching rumble of thunder, an angered expression on stunning features giving the impression of an avenging angel come to deliver judgement. At a speed far beyond anything previously seen from him, Tetsuya sliced through the air on a straight path toward the two, eyes glowing brilliantly and sharp teeth bared in a feral expression. Blue eyes were suddenly met by a red so similar to the boy he adored, yet so different, colder,  _ dull _ . The full force of one of the most powerful Alphas slammed into him like an eighteen wheeler, but he barely paused before continuing, eyes even more intense than before.

The senior Akashi actually looked slightly surprised and even a bit impressed at this, but it didn’t stop him from almost casually flicking the child away. Instantly his son’s docile state evaporated, becoming more like an enraged hell-creature. Seijuuro thrashed frantically, clawing and snarling, attempting to kick out. Meanwhile, the older male simply sighed in an exasperated manner, restraining the boy and pushing him into the car. The boy’s things had already been retrieved, after all. He himself moved quickly, getting in as the enraged howls of The Nine haunted the air, sending unnoticeable shivers down his spine. As they pulled away, a massive boom shaking the air signaled what was probably Yoshitake punching a boulder hard enough to disintegrate it.

He was suddenly very glad that he was already gone. Even someone like himself had no desire to tangle with that. Perhaps throwing their beloved son in the ground was going too far. Remembering the enraged roar that had filled his ears as he left, he decided that yes, it was probably too far.

Either way, he got what he came for. His son clearly was extremely close to an Omega who was not only the most beautiful he had ever seen, but also exceedingly powerful. He got a powerful Alpha and magnificent Omega as a package deal.

Truly, a bargain.

* * *

 

Kagura sang softly under her breath as she cradled Tetsuya to her. He was trembling, eyes wide and frantic, breathing harsh, staring sightlessly at the spot he had last seen Akashi. She ran her fingers through his hair gently, while also forcing soothing emotions onto him. He had already went into a panic attack, she wouldn’t allow the situation to deteriorate any further. His usually strong mind that was incredibly resilient against any outside influence was weakened enough that she was capable of manipulating him. If she didn’t though, he likely would have knocked himself unconscious.

The others, meanwhile, were prowling about angrily, wings out and beating against the air in a violent manner, as if attempting to establish dominance. The area was considerably more torn up than it was a few minutes ago, after they released their rage on the surroundings. Even having done so, their fury still simmered beneath the surface, forcing low, snarling growls from their throats. Kagura would have joined them, if Tetsuya didn’t need her more.

She glanced down at her son in worry, remembering how he had recovered from his shock after a few minutes and tore through the hallways in a frenzy, graceful in an animalistic way. How she had found him afterwards, crumpled on the ground, in shock at what had just transpired. The panic that filled her usually calm mind when he began to shake and breathe irregularly. And now, the realization that Tetsuya wouldn’t make an instant comeback from what just happened.

At that moment, she hated Akashi Shigenobu.

* * *

 

The average looking man from before smiled genially, an expression that seemed permanent on his face, as he spoke to the cold-looking man beside him. “Aren’t things working out so nicely? The parents are angry and jumping at shadows, the obstacle has been removed, and the target is in a fragile, easily manipulated state of mind. I do so love it when things go to plan."

Unthinkingly, he flicked an unknown device into the air, catching it in a habit that was instinctual after the 10 years he had been doing it. 10 years of preparations.

He was nothing if not patient, and brilliant, if he did say so himself.

* * *

 

“I’m afraid my son has become quite rebellious while he was away. It is quite irritating, so please get rid of it. He won’t miss a few years of his life, I’m sure. All he needs is here. He will be trained to be the perfect heir, and will be powerful enough to earn the devotion of that Omega he managed to get attached to him. It is a winning situation for us both.” Listening silently, Seijuuro glared in arctic fury at the man who called himself his father. Internally, he finalized his plans with Bokushi.

_ ‘I will follow this decision of yours. It is our only choice.’ _

As the mind-master brought his hand up to touch Akashi in the center of the forehead, and he began systematically removing every memory he came across, no-one noticed Bokushi having gathered all of their memories and curled up in his side of their soul. He would sleep, and not wake until given enough of a push.

Thus, for the next few years, Akashi, believing himself to be the only one in his mind, would have no memory of Bokushi, or anything that had occurred since he was two years old. He would live believing he had grown both wings at two, like any normal child, been raised by his parents, once again normally, and unfortunately lost his memory in a flying accident. He would be told of an Omega he had befriended during that time, who would belong to him when they met once again and he proved himself powerful enough. Akashi would be haunted in his sleep by memories of a boy with the hair and eyes of the sky, and wings so glorious that even in his sleep they took his breath away.

He would faintly remember an incredible kindness and quick wit, and when he flipped through photos that had become his most precious possession, he would dream of meeting again the boy who held his obsession. Even when he couldn’t remember him, he could never forget. It was an obsession, one he didn’t care to deal with. After all, eventually they would meet again, he would prove himself, and Tetsuya would be his, even if he didn’t remember much.

His father also introduced him to four other boys his age, along with a girl. Murasakibara Atsushi, a huge but childish boy with an incredible loyalty to him, and the heir to a famous culinary company who dominated the food field. Midorima Shintaro, a green-haired megane tsundere, heir to a massive hospital chain. Aomine Daiki, a rude, energetic, and rambunctious boy, who was also a bit arrogant, heir to a large sports chain and son of two famous pro athletes, accompanied by childhood friend Momoi Satsuki who was a genius in the analytical and research fields. Kise Ryouta, the bubbly model with far more layers than most people saw, a heart bored with the world covered by a cheery smile, and already a famous model in addition to being the son of a brilliant designer-model combo.

Together, the five of them became an inseparable group, despite clashing frequently. In each other, they found loyal friends who they knew weren’t after them for fame, money, or status, people they didn’t have to put an act on with, people they could genuinely trust. Akashi even told them about Tetsuya, and showed them the pictures that he had.

Though, he had been more ruthless than usual in their training upon getting a look at their expressions when they saw the picture. While he wouldn’t mind too much if they were the ones Tetsuya chose in addition to himself, that didn’t mean he would allow anyone else his position as number 1 in Tetsuya’s eyes. Even if he didn’t remember the other.

After all, Tetsuya belonged to him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, I’m back with another chapter, yay! And yes, I did just do that. Sorry-not-sorry. I did warn you guys though! Anyways, all the wonderful progress and character development Akashi went through with Tetsuya has in fact been rendered null, for now. Bokushi isn’t going to stay asleep forever though! You can bet when he wakes up, and all the memories he is protecting come out, things are going to be interesting. Cause that’s twice now that Akashi has broken his word.
> 
> Kuroko is going to be really angry (and hurt) when he reunites with Akashi and finds out the other doesn’t remember him, along with the additional detail of Bokushi being sealed. Yeah, it’s going to be great, though I feel kind of bad about what I’ve done. Let me tell you though, this isn’t even near the worst of it. That however, is something that will be revealed in time.
> 
> Get ready for a timeskip to when they’re thirty-two, and about to finally enter the school in which there will be reunions and new meetings.
> 
> I wonder, what happened to Kuroko over the years we haven’t seen him? Thats for me to know, and you to find out~!
> 
>  
> 
> -See you around,
> 
> Lupa Altre
> 
>  
> 
> My Soul Carries Me to the Stars, but My Wings are Giving Out


	5. Chapter 5 - My Feathers Are Falling Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any OC’s that may appear.
> 
> Trigger warnings: Blood, explicit violence, torture, panic attacks. I won’t be held responsible if you do not heed my words.

 

_ “You…” lithe fingers ghosted over a pale face, lingering just beneath eyes with pupils blown wide from terror. Rich brown eyes drifted downwards, slowly, fearfully, until they met bloody crimson. Their skin paled further, taking an unhealthy paper-white pallor, but they couldn’t look away from that manic gleam. A small, gentle smile was pasted on that face, and it felt so wrong alongside the murderous desire hanging heavily in the air. _

_ “These eyes of yours are quite nice, aren’t they?” That hand drifted higher, only a millimeter away from touching terror-filled orbs. “It’s really too bad.” His voice didn’t sound regretful in the least. “That they’ve been looking at something they shouldn’t.” _

_ Agonized screams rent the air as deceptively thin fingers dug in and tore brown eyes from their sockets, but Akashi didn’t even seem to notice. He held up the bloody organs, glanced at now empty sockets dripping blood down a screaming visage, and turned them around, examining the brown tones uncaringly. Nice enough, he supposed, but they certainly couldn’t compare to his Tetsuya. He dropped them on the floor and crushed them underfoot, before giving a distasteful look towards the now sobbing wreck in front of him. Tetsuya was far more dignified in agony when he was seven years old. _

_ “I hope you’ve learned your lesson.” His voice was as friendly and genial as before. “Have a nice day. Don’t forget to turn in your resignation forms tomorrow. My company no longer has a place for you.” _

_ Walking away, he wondered how Tetsuya was doing. _

Bokushi frowned, waking up from his restless sleep. He felt the usual exhaustion and ache in his Emperor Eye that came after such episodes. His eyes saw everything, including the future, and it could strain his energy.

He sighed to himself, unhappily, and shifted as best as a consciousness trapped in the mental plane could. Oreshi was becoming more and more unstable as time went by, and Bokushi was fairly unsurprised at what the future held. He had become desensitized to seeing what would happen in the next 20 years if things continued as they were. They had understood that having half of your personality and consciousness locked away couldn’t be good for your mental state, but hadn’t expected things to progress quite so quickly.

It was lucky that Oreshi was still mostly stable. Otherwise Tetsuya would have had a bit of trouble. It was interesting though, how Tetsuya was completely outside his Eye’s power. He could never see what would happen if Tetsuya was involved. His current predictions were based off of a situation in which Tetsuya was present, but changed nothing. He could remain calm in these visions, knowing that they were impossible since Tetsuya not affecting something was a ridiculous idea.

Bokushi also knew that he and Oreshi’s positions had essentially been reversed. Without Tetsuya’s influence, Oreshi would have snapped under the pressure a couple years ago. Bokushi, who would have been deranged and unstable having been denied and rejected for so long, would have taken control and locked his counterpart in their mind until Tetsuya broke through his walls, resulting in the two personality’s reconciliation. Instead, the reverse essentially happened. Bokushi was locked away along with Oreshi’s memories and their soul bond with Tetsuya (which was all that kept him sane for the time in which the barrier was still too strong for him to look through Oreshi’s eyes, even if his other didn’t know he was there) instead, and Oreshi was the one going insane.

Bokushi was naturally the more ruthless personality, one who stood above others, not beside. Oreshi was kinder but still harsh, with an inferiority complex and the ability to recognize and draw out the best ability of everyone he worked alongside. It was comparable to a rubber band. Kinder people could be stretched farther before they broke. However, the farther they stretched, the harsher the recoil.

Really, he was looking forward to seeing Tetsuya again. Their one way connection where Bokushi could feel things from him, but nothing could get out to Tetsuya, wasn’t satisfying anymore.

* * *

 

Tetsuya had integrated fantastically into the school. The students moved in a week before classes started, in order to settle in and begin making connections. This was a bit difficult for Tetsuya, with his low presence and the fact he didn’t want to be seen. Of course, Kagami-kun, his closest friend for the past year in which they had met, and the rest of the Seirin group (the name they had chosen for themselves when they all moved into the Seirin dorms together) didn’t allow him to isolate himself.

Well, not from them. They actually tended to scare away any outsiders who tried getting near him, despite the fact they didn’t even notice he was there. Even the freshman trio had revealed a surprisingly aggressive side. He was touched by their care for him, recognizing it as similar to how his parents acted with everybody.

On another note, they had finally acknowledged the unresolved sexual tension between them three years into his, his absence (the unwanted spike of fear that occurred when he even brushed up against those memories had him quickly moving on). It was all that had held them up during the years of his  _ absence _ , and even then, when he came back they were irreparably changed. But they worked through it together, even if there was many a bump in the road, what with the panic anytime he left their sight for over a year after his return, or the variety of other issues.

He jerked his mind away from those thoughts, not needing to descend into more unpleasant memories and have an anxiety attack, and focused on some simple, average information to keep from drifting.

_ ‘I’m 37 years old, about to start my ten years of school,’  _ those memories were still brushing at the back of his mind, and as his breathing sped up he focused even more on average, everyday things, that had nothing to do with his issues.  _ ‘The school system is set up so, after learning from their parents, they can get used to associating with others during their mid-developmental stages.’  _ His breathing was returning to normal, but he still didn’t let his thoughts wander.  _ ‘The first two years of the mid-development stages, from 35-37, are vulnerable years, and are spent gaining self-confidence and affirming ones identity, so one isn’t as pressured or affected by others once they get away from the safety of their home. Eight years are left in the mid stages, where they develop their social identity, and the last two years are spent in the final, young adult stage, where they affirm their position.’ _

Tetsuya nearly sobbed in relief as the panic finally left him, and the memories slunk back into the hole he kept them in. He though he was strong, but even after all these years of freedom, those memories still wouldn’t let him go. It seemed that he was weak after all. But he couldn’t tell his family, or Seirin, they would just worry, and there was nothing they could do differently. They helped him enough already, just caring for someone like himself, he could not burden them any further.

He stood from his bed, glanced himself over in the mirror, and nodded at his neat, dignified appearance. If someone actually managed to see him, he wanted to make a good impression. Mother would say that the white and blue uniform complemented his skin and hair nicely, or that the blazer made him look particularly handsome, something that filled him with confidence. But he was alone in his room, and he wouldn’t bother her for something so trivial.

_ Those people _ had taught him well, after all, on how to hide away his emotions and not let them affect him. So even with fear clogging his throat, his voice would never waver, and his legs would never shake. He wouldn’t disappoint his parents because of his  _ emotions _ .

Walking out the door, he flashed a smile at the pictures of his family decorating cream-colored walls with light blue trim, and stepped off the plush, similarly-colored carpet into his indoor shoes.

Walking down the long hallways, he told himself that everything would be perfectly fine, and for a brief moments his thoughts strayed to Akashi. His first friend who had been taken from him by force by Akashi’s own father. If they had parted on better circumstances, he wouldn’t think of him so often, but as things were, he worried. Because their link had gone dull, and the only thing he could sense was that the other was alive.

But he had experience with the fact that being alive certainly didn’t mean that one was okay. Very personal experience, that he could never forget.

He shook those thoughts off and continued walking.

* * *

 

“Kuroko!” Kagami practically growled out the name, having been searching for over 10 minutes now.

“Hai, Kagami-kun.”

The redhead would never admit that he jumped and screamed in shock upon hearing the other’s voice behind him. A year, and he was still snuck up on every damn time! It had pissed him off at first, but at this point he felt more exasperated than anything.

Turning around, he eyed his best friend and hoped the other would chalk his brilliant blush up to anger. He didn’t know anyone who wouldn’t blush in front of Kuroko though! Getting a good look at the bluenet equaled developing an instantaneous crush. Getting to know him was falling head over heels in love.

Honestly, it was just a good thing that Kuroko always had his scent under control, even in his sleep. Because Kagami wasn’t exactly a good example of control over his Alpha instincts. While him hurting Kuroko was frankly absurd even under influence, the way he would act would be incredibly embarrassing. His only consolation was the same applied to just about everyone else. Except they wouldn’t be as averse to hurting his Omega friend.

Which was why Kagami, and the rest of Seirin, had to protect their Phantom. They knew that he  _ could _ kick the ass of anyone who tried something up and down the street without breaking a sweat. The problem was he  _ wouldn’t _ . Kuroko was more likely to let someone assault him than try and hurt them. Which wasn’t unusual for an omega, at all, considering their nurturing instincts. The problem was Kuroko didn’t let people fawn over or protect him like most Omegas did. It left way too many chances for someone to catch him alone for anyone’s comfort.

His train of thought had smoke coming off his head as sparks began igniting from his irate aura. Kuroko gave him a  _ look _ , though, and patted the tiny flames down to prevent him from full out bursting into flame. Kagami blushed bright red in embarrassment, looking down at having forgotten to keep his fiery aura under control. You see, he had the unfortunate combination of an extremely powerful and reactive fire alignment, and a easily ignited temper. He spent most of his life spontaneously combusting when he was irritated, which was often, though he had started getting it under control in the past year.

He couldn’t embarrass himself in front of his crush, alright!?! Another spark was patted down, and he seemed to shrink.

Yeah, he was trying, but it wasn’t going all that well.

It was at this point he realized he hadn’t responded for way too long, unless you counted almost lighting himself on fire as a response. Which he didn’t. He wanted to dig a hole and jump in it right about now, but he gathered himself and tried blustering his way through a greeting.

“Damnit you bastard! Stop sneaking up on me!”

He nearly cringed at his failure, but the tiny twitch upwards of Kuroko’s (full, beautiful, pale-pink) lips instantly chased away anything resembling negativity. He grinned back, face still a bit pink but for a different reason. Well, it looked sort of like a predator baring their teeth, and was enough to make other alphas scramble away, but Kuroko easily recognized it as a smile. He was a bit too optimistic when it came to seeing the good in people, but his powerful empathy kept him from getting taken advantage of.

If not for the fact that he allowed himself to knowingly be used without someone to keep him in check. This tendency had earned him many a clutch-mode lecture from Hyuuga, and a smack with a paper fan from Riko. Depending on how idiotic they thought he had been, there was also a chance of a boston crab hold.

“Tch, whatever. I’ve been waiting for you, so let’s just go. If we don’t get there on time…” There was a simultaneous shudder at the thought of what Riko considered a fitting punishment for tardiness. It suddenly seemed like a good time to get in a bit of speed training.

As they ran towards the Seirin basketball gym, they ran past a particularly colorful group. Most only saw one person running past, and grumbled in irritation. The redhead spearheading the formation, however, noticed a second person running just behind the other.

Eyes just the slightest bit wider, he realized it was a person he most certainly recognized.

Who wouldn’t recognize their obsession of the last 27 years? With all those hours he spent staring at pictures like some kind of stalker, it would be weirder if he didn’t.

Slowly, his lips curled up into a smug smile, sending shivers down the spines of the four walking behind him.

_ ‘It’s about time I found you, my dearest Tetsuya.’ _

* * *

 

Riko looked up as the gym door was flung open, arching an eyebrow at the two standing in the doorway. Kagami was heaving for breath, but Kuroko appeared unaffected, unless you knew what you were looking for. Riko could easily tell that the bluenet was just as bad off as his counterpart.

It didn’t matter how athletic he truly was, with how he kept his abilities forcibly sealed all the time. They had never seen his “bright” style, as he called it, since he only used it against someone with equal or stronger ability in basketball than himself. So his parents were the only ones who had seen it. His “shadow” style was just as powerful though, simply in a different way. A style where he was the central actor, and a style where he was the supporting cast, the latter of which he vastly preferred, and the former which he was too traumatized to use.

If Seirin ever got their hands on the people who did this to him, then there were very few lines they wouldn’t be willing to cross. Not like they would go to prison considering who Kuroko’s parents were.

No one could hurt Seirin’s precious Phantom without  _ consequences _ .

They were all either Alphas or powerful Betas after all. People tended to forget that everyone had vicious, animal instincts, trying to pass themselves off as cultured and civilized. But in this particular school, the average person didn’t exist. It was filled with Alphas, and Betas who might as well be, because it was the school where only the strongest went. The ones who embraced their animalistic nature, which was naturally more powerful than most.

Animals don’t take more than they need. But nor do they tolerate others poaching from their territory, and they  _ certainly _ don’t tolerate others hurting their own. Getting away without your throat being ripped out could be classified as lucky.

It might seem odd that Kuroko, an Omega, came to this school for the most dominant characters in the world. However, despite his guise as a gentle doormat, he utterly outclassed every Alpha in this very school. When he was ordered around, it was because he allowed it. Every single person who had ever commanded something of him couldn’t help but be aware of this fact, no matter how cocky they were. Because even those with the weakest of instincts knew when they were in the presence of something far beyond themselves.

Even as Riko smirked, gave a pointed look at the clock indicating they were two minutes and seven seconds late, and ordered them to start their punishment exercises, she was perfectly aware that Kuroko followed her orders not because he had to, but because he wanted to. Because he respected her knowledge, respected  _ her _ , and wasn’t that knowledge humbling?

Kuroko Tetsuya was the kind of person that no one in the world deserved. But Seirin would do their best to be someone worthy of knowing him, no matter how impossible the task was. Not to mention getting rid of anyone who thought they could just come in and sidle up to him because he was ridiculously, incredibly, amazingly, shockingly, inhumanly, she was getting a bit carried away here but even all those words couldn’t quite convey just how  _ attractive _ he was. Thinking about his appearance, one couldn’t help but get distracted, no matter how disciplined they were. Thinking about his personality? Just give yourself up as a lost cause.

Watching the light and shadow duo run around while Kagami exasperatedly scolded Kuroko for who-knows-what, her smile softened a bit, before turning back into a smirk as she faced the rest of the team, nervously awaiting her next orders. Her grin widened as they flinched at the devious look in her eyes.

“You’ve all been getting complacent lately, so I think it’s about time to step your training up a bit.” She laughed internally at their paling faces, and began handing out training menus, horrified groans music to her ears.

It was good to be the coach.

* * *

 

Kuroko walked casually through the school courtyard, wiping off a residual drop of water from his recent shower after Riko’s training-from-Hell. The burn of his muscles was satisfying, a physical confirmation that he had done his best and was improving for it. He was beginning to get the hang of his latest technique, passing the ball to the hoop rather than a player, which would allow him to properly score in a pinch.

While scoring would be child’s play with his bright style, he physically couldn’t use it. He was able to gauge the ability of anyone he played within ten minutes of playing them, and could accurately compare their strength and ability to his own. His mind subconsciously limited his skills unless they were able to match his ability, and there was no way to get past that. Being honest, he didn’t actually want to. After what he had done, he realized his bright style wasn’t something you could freely use against just anyone.

For a while, he hadn’t been able to play at all, which nearly broke what remained of his spirit after  _ that incident _ , and his  _ hosts _ certainly weren’t being considerate of his state. His previously perfect form always was subconsciously ruined at just the right moment to give him a 1/10 accuracy rate, his stamina fell a ridiculous amount, he was suddenly slow and always tripped up on drives, all in all, he became a pitiful player unless challenged by someone capable of removing his limitations. However, he soon discovered that passing was still open to him. Not only that, but he derived more pleasure from what he dubbed his shadow style than his bright one.

Sure it was fun to go all out against someone who could match him at full strength, but bringing out the strength of his team was a far more enjoyable experience. The feeling of working alongside others, getting a friendly slap on the back at the end of a game with a word of praise at an especially good pass, was far superior to standing ahead of others and pulling them along to fit his pace.

Kuroko Tetsuya loved being Seirin’s shadow, and wouldn’t give it up for any amount of recognition. The only acknowledgement he needed was from his team.

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice the person in front of him until he already ran face first into the brick wall that was their chest.

“My apologies, I am afraid that I was lost in thought.” Looking up, he forgot to breathe as he met very bright, and very  _ familiar _ , ruby red eyes.

Akashi had seen the other coming, but rather than move aside, he had intentionally stood in the other’s pass for the sake of instigating an interaction. He needed to catch Tetsuya’s attention, and was pleased when he succeeded and was rewarded with the most stunning blue eyes he had ever seen raising to meet his own. He nearly forgot to breathe, looking into them, and wanted to jump for joy at the recognition he saw in those eyes. Tetsuya’s voice, though… no words could describe its sheer beauty. However, he prided himself on his self control, and showed no sign of this, instead giving a small smile to the other boy.

“I assure you, the fault is my own. I would be more than willing to make it up to you, Tetsuya.”

“Akashi-kun?” Tetsuya’s mouth widened into a desperate smile, enough to make  _ Akashi _ choke on his own saliva, and the hope shining in the phantom’s eyes only heightened the effect. He didn’t notice when the hope faded, replaced with confusion, which was rapidly turning to disappointment.

“Indeed, Tetsuya.” Akashi lifted a hand to the others face, cupping it tenderly, too enthralled to notice the other growing tense, a spark of anger igniting behind the usually placid eyes. “Then, you are mine.” He drew his hand away, expecting the other to follow as anyone he graced with his attention usually did.

Even the most gentle person would be upset if something they had desperately hoped for the past 27 years turned out to be a disappointment. Suddenly being treated as a possession by someone you once considered your best friend, still considered your first friend, would doubtless make one angry.

Tetsuya always did have a bit of a temper, when you got through his usual passiveness.

He could clearly see, now, what had discomfited him so. What he had denied all this time, when he couldn't sense the other through their bond, even faintly. The beautiful, orange-gold portion of Akashi’s soul was dull, a despondent grey color. He reached out mentally, and sensed the tampering that locked away Akashi’s memories, and half of his soul.

Suddenly, he was very, very, angry. At himself, for hoping and being disappointed. At whoever it was that did this. And most of all, he was irrationally angry with Akashi-, no Oreshi. He was not the complete Akashi with half of himself gone.

His Omega side had respected the strength and force of will that made up Akashi’s strength as an Alpha. His human side had respected Akashi’s genuine care for him, his strength of character, and his wit. Suddenly being greeted with half his Alpha side, which was pitiful having known his true strength, though it seemed exceptional to others, enraged him. Seeing a naive  _ brat _ who thought that he could give a command and have Tetsuya follow without question downright  _ disgusted _ him.

Both sides of him were completely in sync. They would not acknowledge a smattering of leftovers as a proper meal. Why should they acknowledge a clearly unstable Oreshi as the full Akashi?

“Did you believe that would do something?” Akashi jerked, turning in shock at the sudden fury in that previously hopeful voice. “Did you honestly think that someone as weak as yourself could order me about so flippantly?” Burning black-blue pupils shrank further and further in his rage, and beneath his skin, the seven colors of the rainbow began to swirl violently in response to his anger. He kept the presence of mind to mostly keep himself under control, but he couldn’t keep his tail from uncurling from his waist, feathers splaying out aggressively.

“Do you think half an Alpha can earn my respect? I met you expecting the strength I acknowledged and get half the person I knew. As long as part of your soul is dull and locked away, I refuse to associate with someone such as yourself. Utterly pathetic.” Whipping around, his tail flew up and slapped Akashi across the face, going against his Omega instincts and showing utter disdain in the fact that he didn’t even look at the redhead while he did so. “For your own sake, I hope that you regain yourself quickly. I miss Akashi. Not a piece of him that hasn’t even noticed he’s being deceived.”

Then he stalked away, tail lashing behind him, and no one stood in his path. He was very visible at this moment, and everyone had enough sense to avoid being between him and his destination. Even someone without their strong instincts could tell that much. Akashi didn’t even notice the crowd that had gathered during his tongue-lashing. Instead, he raised a hand up to his reddening cheek, absently noting the sting there.

He was stunned, but what Tetsuya had said raised several questions, which he would be looking into immediately. The other seemed focused on the fact that he was “half” of what he had been when they knew each other, and had mentioned something about him not having noticed being tampered with. Yes, these things bore investigating, and soon. Because the faster he understood, the faster he could regain Tetsuya’s acknowledgement. Their meeting had affirmed what had previously been an errant thought in his mind.

_ ‘I won’t let you go. Soon enough, I’ll prove that I am worthy of you.’ _

Akashi also shared a common thought with everyone else who had seen the encounter.

_ ‘Note: Kuroko Tetsuya is incredibly sexy when angered.’ _

* * *

 

Kuroko snarled angrily, stalking around the clearing he had found a couple days ago. He was closely attuned with nature, considering one of his alignments was Life, and the atmosphere in this clearing was perfect for soothing his emotions. He had chosen it because of the powerful nature aura it gave off, in case he had an anxiety attack. It had been a long time since he was so angry, and he hadn’t expected to need it for this, but was glad he had it all the same.

Abruptly turning, he lashed out towards a nearby tree, hand easily going through it to the other side. He didn’t flinch at the splinters that flew everywhere, or the ones now digging into his skin. Jerking his hand out roughly, he turned away from the tree, and an absent fluctuation of his aura pushed the splinters out and healed over the tiny wounds. A bit calmer, he pushed a little of his aura out, so within seconds the hole in the tree closed over, and it looked healthier than before.

Having gotten rid of some of his anger, the emotion he had been ignoring pushed through, and he sank to his knees. A choked sob tore its way out of his throat, and he slowly curled his spine until his forehead lay pressed against the ground. Low, heaving keens ripped from his throat, pitiful, choking sounds that clawed at your heart. His eyes were closed tightly, painfully, and tears poured from the lids and corners, soaking his face and the earth below him.

More than anything, he was heartbroken. Betrayed. Akashi had forgotten about him, gone on with his life without a second thought for his dull, uninteresting childhood friend who was in the past, not worth a second thought. He had allowed Bokushi to be sealed away, lost all their times together, ignored all Kuroko had taught him. Did he matter that little to Akashi? All this time, he’d been pining like some dumb, heartsick little creature, and Akashi hadn’t even remembered him. It hurt, it hurt so  _ badly _ . Gradually, he went from sad to panicking, older, darker memories rushing back in his moment of weakness.

Breathe.

_ They were etching pretty little symbols across his arms, with red-hot knives. Things went dark. _

Breathe.

_ A fist sunk into his stomach, and as he collapsed to the floor, breath stolen, a leg came up, slamming into his curled up abdomen, and sent him flying into the wall. Things went dark. _

Breathe.

_ A newspaper clipping, waved in front of his face, and he recognized that person, very very clearly. He had done that, they told him. He had caused that. And he knew it was true. His breath grew short, and things went dark. _

He couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t working. It wasn’t  _ working _ . The natural aura around him couldn’t compare to his panic. His vision narrowed down, lack of oxygen making dots dance across his eyes, and as the lights shrunk to a pinprick, he only felt relieved as things went dark. The last thing he felt was unusually large hands, familiar hands, gently picking him up.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Did you like it? Kuroko is traumatized, the miracles are hardly alluded to, Seirin makes a cameo (they’ll be the focus of the next chapter) and Akashi is a stalker.
> 
> My soul carries me to the stars, as my feathers are falling out.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N - Overpowered Kuroko is overpowered. Also, really fun to write. This was the set-up chapter. Next one, we’ll finally get some character development beyond the bare bones of it, and some plot? Maybe? If not next chapter, the one after. Basketball has not appeared.  
> Now, I’ll explain a bit about the reincarnation. Basically, in this world, lots of people are reincarnated, but no one has their memories. Compare it to the mind of someone with permanent amnesia being shoved into a newborn’s body. They don’t remember who they are, or what they’ve done, but they retain their mentality. They are still adults (in a child’s body with a child’s brain), they still remember how to walk, talk, and write. They simply lack the experiences that make up who they are. A rapidly developing “blank slate”, basically.  
> Also, The chapter titles are meant to be read alongside the Title. This one for example, would be “My soul carries me to the stars, and it’s beautiful up here”.


End file.
